
Book._rSlS__ 



The Science of 
Fruit Growing 

AND 

The Art of Cultivation 

Based on Nature 's Laws 



By 

VIRGIL BOGUE 

ALBION. NEW YORK 



Price $3.00 



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Copyrig^hts, 19x7. 1918, 1919, 1920 

BY 

VIRGIL BOGUt 






Mf^R 22 192! 



THE SCIENCE OF FRUIT GROWING 
BASED ON NATURE'S LAWS 

BY 

VIRGIL BOGUE, Albion, N. Y. 



LET US consider the great work that is 
being done to create and maintain the 
vegetable and animal kingdom in pro- 
ducing delicious fruits, attractive shape, 
fragrant and beautiful flowers of various 
shades and colors; and wonder who the Archi- 
tect can be, how long he has been designing 
them, to what part are we assigned in their 
creation, and what shall our harvest be. 



The Science of Fruit Growing 



God's workshop — what is it for, where is 
it, what does He make, what is the material 
used, and what is His great motor power? 

The word God is used to designate the 
Greater and Controller of everything. His 
workshop is in the leaf of plants of all de- 
scription. It consists of a system of cells 
corresponding to the lungs of a person, and 
from them there is an opening through the 
under side of the leaf representing the mouth 
and throat of a person, and apparently as sen- 
sitive in taking in and letting out the air to 
the air chambers of the leaf. Joining these 
air cells and separated from them by a deli- 
cate system of sensitive organs, is a set of 
cells representing the stomach, which receives 
the sap from the roots through a system of 
veins. It is in these parts w^here the action 
of the great power of heat and light make 
chloroplast which is the real live molecule of 



Based on Nature's Laws. 



vegetable life, usually green in color as we see 
raost leaves to be. It unites with the sap and 
circulates through the whole plant, aiding to 
reinvigorate any weak parts and to construct 
new parts. The making of chloroplast is the 
primary action for the construction of all 
vegetable growth on the earth's surface, and 
only -for it, the earth would be bare of all 
vegetable growth and all animals that subsist 
on vegetable growth. 

The ordinary apple leaf has about one 
hundred thousand breathing cells opening 
from the under side of it, to spray the leaves 
in the early part of the growing season (which 
is the time it is doing its best work) with a 
thick spray, the nature of which would form 
a coating over the opening of the breathing 
cells, would reduce the efficiency of the leaf. 
To spray the tree in its dormant state with a 
solution that will kill fungii and the eggs of 



The Science of Fruit Growing 



insects, is very beneficial. If there are in- 
jurious insects in sufficient quantities to 
injure the fruit or tree in its growing season, 
it should be sprayed with a thin poison liquid 
that will interfere with the action of the leaf 
as little as possible. 

The necessity for the air cells of a leaf 
being furnished regularly with an abundance 
of pure air, corresponds with the needs of 
pure air for the lungs of an animal. All leaves 
are sensitive to heat and cold, wet and dry 
conditions. They flourish where the condi- 
tions seem best adapted to them. Some are 
more sensitive to the changes at different sea- 
sons of the year than others. While the 
grapevine flourishes over a large area of 
country, it fails to develop the sugar from the 
starch condition at such locations as have cool 
nights when it is ripening. The cool air stops 
the working of the leaf, and the fruit remains 



Based on Nature's Laws. 



in about the same condition of ripening. 
Though vines allowed to grow in the top of 
tall trees or trailed up under the eaves of a 
tall building above the strata of cold air, 
ripen their fruit to perfection, as does the 
vine growing in the favored location under 
the influence of a lake that keeps the air warm 
at that season of growth. 

Severe electric storms have a similar ef- 
fect on the leaves as a light frost. As elec- 
tric storms come at the season of the year 
when the trees are making the best 
growth, their bad effect is more often over- 
come by elimination. 

We find by observation and reasoning, 
that trees have life, and are constructed and 
maintained by the same natural laws that 
govern and maintain the animal kingdom. 
That is, they have the circulation of the sap, 



The Science of Fruit Growing 



which represents the blood of the animal. 
This circulation is continuous throughout the 
growing season. We notice by cutting off a 
part of the top or roots during the growing 
season, it immediately withers and dies and 
in many cases where the tree is all cut off 
near the ground in the growing season, the 
roots and top both die, and we therefore con- 
clude, naturally, that the one is dependent 
on the other. 

The life of the tree is in its molecules, with 
functions similar to those in the animal king- 
dom to a certain extent. Some of these are 
constructive and others digestive and dis- 
tributive. They do the work of reinvigorat- 
ing by cleansing the marred or unhealthy 
parts, as we can see by examining the inner 
part of the body of the tree or large limbs, 
that the annual courses of growth show nearly 
a perfect condition, when we know they had 



Based on Nature's Laws. 



been severely bruised, and many small limbs 
cut from them. Trees differ in their ability 
to cleanse and re-establish the tissues, as 
shown by the pine. Many of their knots are 
not wholly eliminated. This would tend to 
show that there were two circulations of the 
sap: one in the bark and outer courses of the 
wood and between them; the other from the 
bark to and from the heart or center of the 
tree. A cross section of a seasoned oak tree 
shows this distinctly. 

The sap is quite thin and watery in the 
forepart of the growing season, but grows 
thicker as the season advances, finally 
reaching a state of solidity located in the bark 
and outer edges of the wood, to remain 
through its dormant season, then to be en- 
livened and brought into action by the warm 
moist atmosphere of spring, thus to continue 
its previous season's growth. As a proof of 



10 The Science of Fruit Growing 

this, saw a limb of two inches in diameter 
from a bearing Apple tree in the spring, just 
as the sap is starting, and put the end in 
a dish of warm water, keeping it in a warm, 
moist atmosphere. The limb will leaf, blos- 
som, and continue its growth until its life 
substance is exhausted. 

As proof of the location of the life sub- 
stance through its dormant stage, bore a hole 
one-half inch deep into a sugar maple tree in 
the spring, and let the sap run till it is dry; 
then bore it in another inch,and it will run 
more sap, apparently nearly as well filled 
with sugar as the first. This will also illus- 
trate how the sap, in its thin liquid shape, 
takes up the sugar or real life substance of 
the tree and carries it to the leaves, to be 
digested or separated into its different parts, 
forming a new growth of wood, bark, leaves, 
roots, blossoms and fruit. 



Based on Nature's Laws. 11 

We find that a higher state of vitality is 
produced when the roots and tops are fur- 
nished regularly with the necessary condi- 
tions and material for its growth. We want 
not only vitality, but matured vitality, in the 
fruit tree, in order to have it stand the debili- 
tating effects of Winter, and hold and grow 
its fruit after it is set. Nature has furnished 
a sufficient amount of this in the tree to pro- 
duce occasional crops of fine fruit in those 
sections where fruit naturally grows. 

The fruit grower finds it necessary to do 
something more to aid the tree in securing its 
moisture more regularly and its feeding ma- 
terial more abundantly. The bacteria that is 
necessary to decompose vegetable matter in 
the soil, in order to make plant food available 
for the feeding of the roots, does not do its 
best work when the soil is crusted, hard, or 
covered with sod, but does it when the ground 



12 The Science of Fruit Growing 

is frequently cultivated and broken up into 
fine parts, so the air is readily admitted to 
the place where the decomposition is going 
on, and is facilitated by the abundance of 
fresh air that enters into the process' of de- 
composition of vegetable matter, and the 
growth of plants. 

The tree can not live any great length of 
time with its roots in water. Neither can it 
produce a regular and sufficient circulation 
of its sap without moisture in sufficient quan- 
tities to supply its needs. The nearer we can 
furnish regularly the needed moisture, and 
in its proper season, the more matured vital- 
ity it will possess, and like the hill of corn, the 
size and maturity of the ear it produces de- 
pends on the amount of matured vitality in 
the stalk. For instance, a hill of corn planted 
early and which through neglect dries up, 
produces little, and one planted late produces 



Based on Nature's Laws. 1^ 



an immaturecl ear of but little value. The 
fruit-bearing tree is as sensitive to cultiva- 
tion as a hill of corn. They both use the same 
conditions for their growth. To obtain the 
best results, they both need to be planted 
far enough apart so that the sun can strike 
the land where their roots feed. A root 
grown in the sun is worth more for producing 
matured vitality than one grown in the shade. 
This is readily shown by trying to grow either 
in the shade of a building. 

Trees bear best when furnished appar- 
ently an excess amount of fertilizer, and the 
land well plowed, thoroughly and often cul- 
tivated, from early Spring to the first of Sep- 
tember, then seeded to chickweed or some 
Fall plant that grows mostly on moisture. 
One reason why orchards located near lakes 
bear more regularly than those inland, is that 
moist cloudy conditions that aid the trees in 



14 The Science of Fruit Growing 

growing at the season when the fruit bud is 
maturing its vitality for the following year's 
crop. Trees growing further away from the 
lakes are more often matured by the sun be- 
fore they are fully developed. They both ap- 
pear to blossom about the same, but while 
one holds and grows the fruit, the other more 
often drops it before maturity. This relates 
to trees growing under neglect and depending 
entirely on natural conditions. 

Where the trees grow under more sunny 
conditions, and are furnished the necessary 
moisture and food regularly by cultivation, 
they produce good crops of better colored 
fruit, which means better flavor. Fruits, like 
flowers, reach the highest state of perfection 
in proportion to the amount of sunlight they 
receive, other conditions being equal. 

The individuality of the fruit is a germ 



Based on Nature's Laws. 15 

much smaller than the head of a pin, located 
just under the base of the bud in a jet. If a 
jet of a Greening or any variety is transferred 
to another variety and grows, the fruit born 
from it would be of the variety from which it 
was taken. This is called budding, and by 
it one tree can be made to produce many dis- 
tinct varieties of apples. The budding should 
be done when the new growth is nearly ma- 
tured, and the sap in the tree to be budded 
is beginning to thicken. Under such condi- 
tions the bud and the tree unite readily. 

Trees do not produce fruit in the younger 
stages of their growth. Like the animal 
kingdom, they seem to require a matured 
state for reproduction. The growth of the 
fruit spurs represent the necessary matured 
condition for reproduction. The first blos- 
soms on a young tree seldom produce fruit, 
as the tree has to advance beyond that stage. 



16 The Science of Fruit Growing 

One leaf will not produce fruit. It requires 
a number, and the larger proportion of leaves 
to a fruit, the better and the nearer the leaves 
to the fruit, the better action they have in 
producing it. 

Each variety of fruit has its special sea- 
sons and necessary conditions to develop and 
mature its fruit germ which is done the year 
before it bears fruit. The productiveness of 
a tree depends in a large measure on the 
structure of the leaf and its adaptability to 
conditions. To illustrate, take the Greening, 
its terminal leaves are usually the largest it 
produces in the season, indicating that the 
maturing of the tree is continued till the last 
of the season, and is generally known to be a 
great and regular bearer of fruit. In contrast 
to this we will take the Esopus Spitzenberg, 
the leaves of which are the smallest at the 
last of the season's growth, and taper back in 



Based on Nature's Laws. 17 

size to those grown in mid-season. That does 
not represent the best conditions for produc- 
ing a developed and mature condition of the 
germ. Hence it is only under the most favor- 
able conditions that this variety bears. Other 
illustrations are numerous. 

When starting an orchard, it is best to 
secure nursery trees that have been budded 
or grafted from bearing trees, as in many 
cases they have been rebudded from nursery 
trees for a dozen or more generations, which 
eliminates in a large measure the nature of 
reproduction of fruit, and they do not bear 
as young as when budded from bearing trees. 
The tree should be cared for from the time 
it is dug from the nursery until it is planted, 
in the best way to keep it from deteriorating 
in vitality by drying up or the roots being 
frosted when out of the ground or exposed 
in a cold room or put in water, especially cold 



18 The Science of Fruit Growing 

water, as it requires more attention to re- 
invigorate it after its vitality lias been re- 
duced fifty per cent, or more by transplanting. 
The trees should be planted in a good pul- 
verized and moderately rich soil, and have the 
dirt packed well around the roots. The roots 
can be puddled in a thin mud before planting, 
but never wet down the dirt in the hole when 
planting, as it later produces a hard, dry- 
baked condition that may require a year or 
more to change to be like the surrounding 
ground, in the meantime the tree will do poor- 
ly. If a farmer was asked how he would treat 
a small piece of ground so that it would not 
grow weeds or anything else with natural 
thrift, he would reply: *' Spade it in the 
Spring when w^et, and stamp it down thor- 
oughly." This is the way many plant trees. 
The tree should be given such care as is neces- 
sary to furnish its requirements for a con- 



Based on Nature's Laws. 19 

tinuous growth, from the time it is set until 
it dies of old age. 

Trimming should be started from the be- 
ginning by cutting off all mutilated roots 
smoothly, when planting, so they will callous 
more readily and start fine roots. About one- 
third of the ends of the last year's growth 
of the tops should be cut off, in order to 
start the new growth from well-matured 
wood. The centre of the tree should be al- 
lowed to grow and be maintained throughout 
its whole existence. After the first year the 
side branches should be cut off to within six 
inches of the tree, and allowed to produce all 
the side growth they can of any nature. The 
following year anything growing on the short 
growth over six inches, should be shortened 
to six inches, and also the side growth on the 
center, until the tree reaches a height at 
which you want the first permanent limb to 



20 The Science of Fruit Growing 

grow, and then leave a limb for permanent 
growth, and above that six inches to a foot 
on another side of the tree leave another limb, 
proceeding in this manner until five or six 
have been left for permanent growth. These 
should be cut back a little on the ends, and 
the limbs making too large a growth on its 
sides, in order to force a production of as 
many fruit spurs and short growths on the 
body and main limbs as possible. The leaves 
on these short twigs serve to make the main 
limbs stocky and are performing near it their 
office of developing the whole tree, root and 
branches. Where there are no short twigs 
and the sap has to traverse a long body, and 
then a long limb to reach the few leaves at 
the end of it, and return lightly reinvigorated 
with chlorophyll to construct and reinvigor- 
ate the roots, it can not be expected that such 
a condition would produce as favorable re- 



Based on Nature's Laws. 21 

suits as would follow where the body and 
large limbs are more covered with short twigs 
and fruit spurs. 

Under the latter condition you would 
seldom see any water sprouts that Nature is 
always producing on large bare limbs. Four 
or five feet above the first started permanent 
limbs, should be grown another lot and so on, 
as high as you wish to have the tree grow. 
Always aim to produce and preserve as many 
short twigs on the larger limbs as is possible. 
If the short limbs grow too strong and fill in 
the inside too much, cut them back, and so 
force out more fruit spurs on them. Remem- 
ber, that one leaf does not make an Apple and 
that the more fruit-spur leaves you can pro- 
duce on the body and main limbs, the better. 
A large percentage of the fruit will grow on 
these short twigs. There are many orchards 
in Western New York that are practically and 



22 The Science of Fruit Growing 

scientifically trimmed mider the present sys- 
tem of culture, that are in such a weak state 
of vitality that many of their limbs are dying 
from exhaustion, the sap not being able to 
traverse the distance necessary to reach the 
leaves on the ends of the limbs, and then re- 
turn with the necessary nourishment to con- 
tinue life, and that too under good conditions 
and cultivation. For the most part these 
trees do not and cannot produce as many 
pounds of fruit as they did ten years ago, or 
what they could have produced if they had 
never been trimmed. Trees properly trimmed 
from the beginning under this plan, would 
eliminate the necessity of cutting out large 
limbs in later years, as is very often the case. 
Every time a limb or root of a tree is cut off, 
it injures the tree. There are some seasons of 
the year when to trim a tree injures it most. 

We are often told that the time to cut 



Based on Nature's Laws. 23 

bushes or trees to kill them is in August. The 
reason I assume for plants dying when cut 
at this time, is that the tree or bushes has 
reached its highest state of growth, and be- 
gins the maturing of the growth, which it is 
not able to do without the aid of the leaves, 
decomposition sets in, and it dies. To trim 
trees late in the Fall or Winter, exposes the 
tender inner part of the bark. The freezing 
and thawing makes a bad sore, which extends 
much farther under the bark than is apparent 
from the outside and has to be reinvigorated 
by the sap in summer, the same as the blood 
heals a sore. On nursery trees, where the re- 
sults are more readily observed, it has often 
affected the trees so badly, especially the 
Baldwins, that the heart would become black 
and punky, and in later years the tree would 
become worthless and die. 

A little statement in a book on tree culture 



24 The Science of Fruit Growing 

sent out many years ago from Rochester, 
N. Y., stated: ''''Trim any time your knife 
was sharpr This was the cause of many 
thousand worthless trees. To preserve the 
greatest amount of vigor the tree should be 
trimmed just before the leaves start in the 
Spring. To trim just after the leaves start is 
very weakening. It grows less injurious as 
the season advances, up to about July 1st, 
after which it is more injurious on fruit- 
bearing trees until Winter. Where large 
limbs have to be cut off, it should be at the 
collar and not in the shoulder, as the shoulder 
possesses the healing nature of growth and 
the limb does not; the cut should be imme- 
diately painted with linseed oil and iron ore, 
to keep the fungii parasites out until it can 
grow over. Never use any animal oil on 
trees unless made into soap. 

The functions of the roots are to serve as 



Based on Nature's Laws. 25 

the stomach of the tree, to receive the moist- 
ure and food necessary for the maintainance 
of the tree. They work in cpnjunction with 
the leaves, which act as the lungs. The suc- 
cess of this depends on the amount of moist- 
ure and food available and the regularity 
with which it is obtained. Our ancestors 
found that by plowing and cultivating the 
soil, plants and trees produced a greater 
growth and yield than when planted in solid 
ground: in most cases the more the land is 
cultivated, the larger the growth. 

The roots of trees vary, according to the 
depth of the soil they flourish in, and also de- 
pend on the variety of the tree and the 
solidity of the soil. They require a certain 
amount of healthy air, light and sunshine, 
and they thrive best where they can best 
secure these. An excess amount of moisture 
in the ground at the growing season for an 



26 The Science of Fruit Growing 

extended period reduces the quality of the 
sap in an Apple tree until it weakens and dies. 
If it does not kill the tree it very often pre- 
vents it from producing enough matured 
vitality to hold its fruit after the blossoming- 
season for that and the following year. When 
the ground becomes very dry from the Sum- 
mer drouth, the root will go deeper into the 
ground, seeking moisture. As the stronger 
of the roots will take the lead downward, 
many of the smaller roots become inactive 
and die. The root has the same nature as 
the top, in always sending out branches to 
gather its requirements. Often they get so 
deep that the Spring rains following, drown 
them out for the want of air, they die, and the 
tree starts out roots near the surface again. 

If we can reason that the tree requires 
matured roots, the same as the top requires 
matured fruit spurs in order to produce fruit. 



Based on Nature's Laws. 27 

then many of the trees* failure to produce, 
may be accounted for and very strong evi- 
dence of the value of cultivation, which keeps 
the roots near the surface of the ground. Also 
this demonstrates the value of deep under- 
drains. A root grown where the sunlight 
can strike the earth above it, is much more 
valuable than one grown in the shade. 

The place to put manure is outside the 
shade of the tree, to have it do the most 
good, for the more roots feeding in the sun- 
light, the better. Nearly all substances sub- 
ject to decomposition by the ground are good 
to produce growth. Vegetable and mineral 
substances are better than animal. Warm, 
moist ground is a great deodorizer and de- 
composer of manural substances. Dry ground 
is much less active or efficient. 

As trees and plants get their nourishment 



28 The Science of Fruit Grow 



mg 



from the soil through the roots, it is well to 
keep the soil in as good condition as possible 
to feed the roots all the time the tree or plant 
is growing. The ends of these roots are 
porous, like a sponge, and absorb the moist- 
ure, which is in the form of a film surrounding 
each grain of soil, and is enriched by the ma- 
terial in the grain of earth and the gases and 
spirits formed by the decomposed manural 
substances in the soil, by action of heat and 
moisture, and then conveyed to the leaves by 
capillary attraction. The quality of the 
moisture called sap, so obtained, depends on 
the available proportions of potash, phos- 
phoric acid and nitrogen as necessaries, and 
lime, iron, magnesia and other chemicals as 
assistants. Nearly all vegetable substances, 
except a few heavily laden with acids, that 
are susceptible to decomposition when well 
assimilated in the soil under action of heat 



Based on Nature's Laws. 29 

and moisture, make good plant food. The 
fomenting condition of the soil is kept even 
and continuous in proportion as the soil is 
kept cultivated under favorable conditions. 

A barrel of fine refuse salt, sown evenly 
over an acre of finely pulverized dry land, 
will aid in promoting vegetable growth in 
a dry time. Care should be taken not to sow 
it in lumps or piles, as the impurities in salt 
draws moisture from the atmosphere. If the 
dense liquid or brine formed by it should 
come in contact with the roots of the trees in 
sufficient quantity, it wouhl draw the less 
dense liquid or sap from the roots, and kill 
them the same way tliat it kills grass, viz., by 
drawing the moisture from its roots. 

Light acting on the leaves develops 
chlorophyll, which is the green color of vege- 
tation. It digests or elaborates the sap, which 



30 The Science of Fruit Crowing 

fits it for the production of new cells that form 
the extensions of new growths of leaves, wood 
and fruit. The solidity of the vegetable or 
fruit depends on the amount of light the 
leaves receive. The leaves should be kept 
as free as possible from all fungii or 
foreign substances and in a growing con- 
dition, that its cells may be open to receive 
the light, and not dry up from lack of sap. 
When in a healthy, growing condition the 
leaf absorbs oxygen and hydrogen from the 
air in the day, and casts off surplus oxygen 
and carbonic acid at night. The oxygen is 
necessary for its development, and the car- 
bonic acid becomes a foreign substance to be 
eliminated for the health of the plant. If the 
leaf is not able to receive oxygen freely, or 
if there is a lack of free elimination of the 
foreign substances, it would create a clogging 
of the growing system and produce bad re- 



Based on Nature's Laws. 31 

suits, the same as in the animal system. The 
plant, in trying to eliminate foreign substance 
in the growing season, caused by frozen cells, 
is often overtaxed, and dies, or continues its 
life in a weakened state, producing little 
results. 

If the frozen part of a tree or plant could 
be removed by cutting it off as soon as it is 
frozen, it would save the tree or plant from 
having to eliminate the foreign matter or 
dead molecules in the sap through its regular 
system of growth. The ability of a tree to 
recover from the effects of a late Spring 
freeze, and mature its fruit, depends on the 
amount of matured vitality it has to aid its 
growth, and the severity of the freeze. 

It is more exhausting to a tree to let it 
hold its fruit until it ripens and drop off itself, 
than it is to pick it off as soon as it is ready 



2)2 The Science of Fruit Growing 

for the market. The difference in many in- 
stances means a failure in fruit production 
the following year. It is injurious to a tree 
to allow its fruit to decay on the ground under 
it. As far as possible it should be removed. 
The dead leaves seem to be good fertilizer, 
and they should be held on the ground as they 
fall by some late fall growing plant until 
plowed under. To plow the land in the late 
fall or early winter, kills many of the insects 
that winter in the ground. The leaves and 
plants plowed under are ready to decay in 
the Spring as soon as the warm weather de- 
velops the bacteria necessary for decomposi- 
tion, and so becomes available for plant food. 
The fungii that is on the leaves and rejected 
fruit, develops in the Spring, when the leaves 
and rejected fruit are allowed to remain on 
the ground, into millions of spores at a tem- 
perature of 45 degrees, which float in the air. 



Based on Nature's Laws. ZZ 

alighting on everything with which they come 
in contact, but only grow where they can get 
nourishment suitable for their needs. 

The most of fruits, like grasses, have a 
better flavor when harvested just before their 
seeds ripen, and allowed to cure or ripen 
slowly in a cool place. 

The highest state of perfection in the fruit 
is produced where it has been regularly fur- 
nished its necessities for growth while in its 
tannin, starch and sugar stages. An imper- 
fect tannin cannot produce a perfect starch, 
and an imperfect starch cannot produce a 
perfect sugar, which are the different stages 
of growth in the fruit. 

For want of application a very little bene- 
fit is being received from our knowledge of 
the beneficial animals, birds and insects. 
There are enough of them if they were prop- 



34 The Science of Fruit Growing 

erly fostered to destroy all the injurious in- 
sects that injure the trees and vegetable 
plants. 

There is the skunk or polecat, which is a 
busy worker at night — when it feels free to 
roam without being molested, it has an in- 
stinct to detect grubs, snails and other in- 
sects, when it is walking over the ground, 
located at a depth of two inches from the sur- 
face of the ground, and digs them out for 
its food. It is shy of people, and only uses its 
power of defense when in danger. It lives 
mostly in burrows in the ground in localities 
where it is not likely to be molested. 

The snake, of which there are many kinds 
that are harmless, lives mostly on mice, 
ground moles, insects, and berries. They live 
mostly in stone piles, a fence post set with 
stones around it makes a satisfactory place 



Based on Nature's Laws. 35 

for them to live. The toads live on insects 
gathered with their tongue, which is extreme- 
ly long and so constructed that it can catch 
and hold a very quick insect. It likes to live 
under a flat stone raised just far enough above 
the ground for it to enter. A few such homes 
located along the edge of the garden would 
soon be well occupied, and a great reduction 
of insects in the garden would follow. 

The wasp, hornet, sweat bees, and lady 
bugs, are great butchers of insects and eaters 
of insects' eggs. The wasp stings many in- 
sects — among them the green pear worm — 
until it dies. It then drags it to a place where 
it has a hole in the ground, where it puts it, 
then lays an egg in the worm and covers it 
up, apparently with a satisfaction that it has 
done something to perpetuate its kind, as the 
larvae formed from the egg feeds on the de- 
composing insect. They prefer to live in a 



36 The Science of Fruit Growing 

qniot place, often in the top of a building that 
is not much frequented by people. 

The hornet does the same killing of in- 
sects, but it prefers a hollow stalk of a 
plant in which to put the insect, and deposit 
its egg. There are different kinds of birds 
that are great devourers of insects and pos- 
sess a wonderful instinct for locating them. 
The woodpecker has the instinct to locate a 
grub feeding in and under the bark of a tree, 
and has strength in its bill to drill a hole and 
get it to eat. It is continually hunting on 
trees for insects. It likes its home in a dense 
wooded ravine, where it raises its young in a 
hole in a tree that it has made with its own 
bill. 

The Creator has provided all these and 
many other helpful animals, birds, and 
insects, with a nature of reproduction and to 



Based on Nature's Laws. 37 

seek seclusion for their homes. They would 
be of great benefit if they were protected, in- 
stead of often being foolishly killed. 

To understand these conditions and try to 
produce them will give more and regular 
compensation for the labor and expense be- 
stowed on the producing of fruits, vegetables, 
grains and flowers. 



Apply the principles herein advanced to the 
care of your orchard, and note results. 



THE SCIENCE OF FRUIT GROWING 

BASED ON NATURE'S LAWS 

Part II. 



The fruit growing' season in the Western 
New York fruit belt is too short to develop 
and mature the commercial varieties of fruit 
now grown in that section. The Newtown 
Pippin, Peck^s Pleasant, Wine Saps, Spitzen- 
bergs and other varieties are finding better 
climatic conditions in the Virginias, and when 
grown there they are supplying th(» markets 
at a higher price and in a much more satis- 
factory manner tlian when grown in their 
(^arlier home. Western New York, where the 



40 Tht Science of hrnil (ir<mi{ii(/ 



cliiiiaiic. cojidiiioiis in ;m earlier day madci 
llicni fainoiis. 

l^jvcryihiiii; lliai c'lii possibly hv done 
should be done to leiii^ilien the growing sea- 
son, (^speeially i\w Fore part of it. 

Uy plowin.i; (he land in the late I^\mII or 
Winter' and enllivatin^' into the soil a coating' 
of partly decayed stable ?nanure, the bacteria 
would stai"t in the soil much earlier in llie 
Spi'in^, and when ouee started it increases 
very ra[)i(lly and sprends throui^hout th(^ 
adjoining- soil. It stjuls veiy slowly in un- 
plow(Ml land and wiu're no stable nuuiure is 
a[)plie(l often makes a difference of several 
<lays in tlu* condition of growth. 

To ,i;*et the ureatesi benelit from stable 
manure, asi<le frofu what is necessai'y to start 
the bacteria on oi* neai- Ihe surface o\' the 
i^round, it is bettei* to plow it under from tivo 



Based on Nature's Laws. 41 

to eight inches deep. The soil absorbs the 
different properties in the manure as it de- 
eoinpovses and holds it till the roots of the 
plants can absorb it. If allowed to decay on 
the surface many valuable manural prop- 
erties are carried away by the air, which is a 
great absorbant. 

Covering the land with a thin layer of 
manure or any vegetable substance is bene 
ficial to growth. It prevents the air from 
taking the manural slil)stances and moisture 
from the ground and maintains a more even 
temf)(»rature in the soil. Care should be taken 
not to apply too much stable manure late in 
the growing season, as a heavy rain would 
carry to the roots an over-supply of food at a 
time when they could not use it and make a 
matured growth. 

Tile bacteria plays a very essential part in 



42 The Science of Fruit Growing 

the growth of plants. There are many kinds 
of them, some beneficial and others injurious. 
Each kind exists under conditions adapted 
to their nature. The kind that works in wet 
muck or low lands, producing a coarse swamp 
grass of little value, is not the kind wanted to 
produce good apples. Apple trees would soon 
die if forced to grow under these conditions. 
The elastic nature of plants and animals is 
such that they can exist for a short time on 
unnatural food, which when extended too 
long will show detrimental results. 

Different kinds of bacteria, under the 
right kind of conditions, help to grow dif- 
ferent kinds of plants requiring the same con- 
ditions for growth, and if their seed is not 
there they seem to j)^c)duce these plants 
spontaneously. 

The season of the year controls the great 



Based on Nature's Laws. 43 

power of heat and light in the production of 
new growth and the ripening of the condition 
that exists at the time, whether fully devel- 
oped or not, which accounts in part for small 
size fruit and grain. Every distinct variety 
of plants or fruit has its season for ripening 
its seed and stock, after which its growth, if 
any, is to store life substance for the main- 
tenance of the stock and the starting of an- 
other crop of seed. Much depends on the 
condition of growth when the ripening season 
strikes it. Judging from a financial stand- 
point, it determines whether the product will 
have a high or low value and whether the in- 
dividual specimens will be large and well 
matured or small, imperfect and of little 
value. All that can be done to help furnish 
Nature's requirements in the proper season 
for growth, will show results at harvest time. 



44 I he Scirncc of J'ruil Growin<j 

llic icspirniory or^nns locaicMl on ili(^ 
body ;iii(i hirK<'i* Tmihs of old trees i\Vi\ 
not. ;il)lr to serve llieii" piiipose, owin^ to 
the (lead hnrk <*o\'eriji^' llie sinrncc. This 
l)ni-l< slioiiM he sernfXMl off in Ihe Sf)rin^ 
before Ihe 1 ree sl;n-l,s il.s growth. I^jX 
IreiiK' ejire shoiihl he i;il<eii iiol. l,o eut 
into Ihe ,L;i<'en hnrk iiinhT il. This ,i^i\'es 
the ti'ee ;i <'hjiFiee foi* n fice respii'ation 
thi'on.i;hoiit the l);ii"k, \vhei"e the oi-i;;nis inh;He 
and e\h;de nil' \\\\i\ nioistni'e. The hody ;ind 
hir^'e limhs that hnxc heen sei'aped shonhl 
not he eo\'er<Ml with :i Ihiek whitewash in the 
^rowin^ se;ison, nny more thnn the h'jives 
shonhl he eoNci-ed with it. When the hody is 
<U)Vei-ed with litth' twi^s the pores nre moro 
iminerons nenr the hnse of the twi^s. ^Pht* 
(l(»V(»h)p?neid of the respiratory organs is 
whnt makes tlie ti*ee L-uiAcr in their vicinity, 
or whjil is more eominoidy caHed '^stocky/* 



1 



Based OH Nature's Laws. 45 

and arc inorc valuables to ^I'owth tliari loii^, 
slim liiribs. It ,i»ivos tlu^ troo a better circula- 
tion ol* its saf) iif)war<ls as well as downwards 
through the body. A clearer conception of 
tlui extent and working* of tlie respiratory 
organs can l)e ()l)tain(Ml by taking" a section of 
tfi(^ bark, two feet wide by thre(» feet long, 
from a bass wood tree about the longest day of 
Surruner, at which time it i:)eeis frcM'ly, from 
tile tree, f)ut it in a running brook For four 
W(»eks; wcTight it w(^ll, so it will not ns(^ above 
the wat(^r. At th(^ end of the four weeks, th<» 
life substance located between t\w. Iay(»rs of 
bark is well decayed and there will be eiglit 
or ten layers ol* tliiii bark that will readily 
separate from each other and from the outer 
layers of dead bark. Th(^s(^ layers are v(U'y 
f)or()us, the pcrl'oi-ations ranging from the size 
of the point of a pin on the inruir bark to l/lf) 
of an inch in the outer layers. All trc^e barks 



46 The Science of Fruit Growing 



are similarly constructed, but not so easily 
examined as the basswood. These pores con- 
nect the life of the tree located between the 
layers of bark and the outside of the tree. 
There are many thousands to the square inch 
of bark surface in a young healthy tree. 

Many of the old bearing trees under the 
present system of trimming and culture are 
barkbound, which causes the elongated cells 
through which the sap flows to and from the 
roots, to be contracted or depressed, and this 
interferes with the free circulation of the sap. 
This condition can be 'relieved by cutting 
perpendicularly through the bark of the body 
from the roots, to and along large limbs on 
three or four sides of the tree in June, at 
which time new wood and bark are commenc- 
ing to form; the bark, being nearly loose on 
the tree at that time, can more readily adjust 



Based on Nature's Laws. 47 

itself to the expansion which in bad cases 
would be more than one-fourth of an inch at 
each cut. 

Nothing should be done to the tree or plant 
that would hinder a regular or progressive 
growth, or allow any condition to exist that 
would require a large per cent, of chlorophyll 
throughout its growing season to be used to 
eliminate foreign matter, or to reinvigorate 
the parts that are unfavorably affected from 
exterior causes. All the chlorophyll so used 
reduces the amount that would be available 
for the production of fruit or grain. The 
debilitating effects of Winter on bearing trees 
is great, especially if they were not well 
matured in the previous Fall. 

If the amount of needed trimming is so 
great that it cannot be done at the best season 
for the good of the tree, it can be done in 



48 The Science of Fruit Growing 

late Winter by leaving stubs on the tree from 
one to two feet long, and cut them off later at 
the proper time, which will be less injurious 
to the health of the tree. The frozen sore 
that is on the end of the stub is not in the 
main (course of the sap^s circulation from the 
roots to the leaves. The bad effects of the 
poison to be eliminated from it is not so great. 
It is better to remove the stumps before the 
circulation of the sap is commenced in the 
Spring. 

Judgment should be used in deciding the 
depth to plow the orchard. If the previous 
Summer and Fall were dry, then it will do to 
plow deep, as the active feeding roots are 
deep in the ground. If the previous Spring 
and Summer season was excessively wet, then 
the active feeding roots are mostly near the 
surface, and should not be cut off by plowing 



Based on Nature's Laws. 49 

too deep. The deeper the land can be plowed 
consistent with the position of the roots of the 
trees, the easier it will be to conserve the 
moisture by cultivation through the dryer 
part of the growing season. 

Spraying with poisons and fungicides are 
temporarily beneficial to keep fungii and in- 
sects off until the fruit can be used. They 
should not be depended on to take the neces- 
sary place of food and care to produce fully 
developed and mature vitality, any more than 
we should depend on spraying with insecti- 
cides to keep the cows of a good dairy free 
of insects, when we know by giving them 
plenty of feed that is adapted to their needs 
and good care, they are not infected with in- 
sects or fungii. No kind of Aphides or lice 
can live for any length of time by feeding on 
the leaves of strictly healthy trees or plants. 



50 The Science of Fruit Growing 

wov can they live on a well-fed and cared for 
animal. Fun^ii ^rovvs on a leaf, tree or fruit, 
only where there is an imperfect and imma- 
tured condition of growth. The imperfect con- 
dition of an apple that has fun^i on it can he 
seen hy placing it in the air till it shrivels, 
then put it in a vacuum where the air can be 
taken from it, and it will show that the cells 
covered by tin; fungi i are brought out full 
again, indicating that that part of the apple 
whi(;h is usually near the blossom end 
was immatured and could not stand the air 
pressure when compared with the stem end 
where there is little or no fungii. 

The beautiful colored leaves that we see 
in the Autumn are the result of an imperfect 
maturing and deteriorating condition of 
growth. The most distinct scarlet coloring is 
produced by taking all the bark off near the 
roots of a silver maple in late Winter that is 



Based on Nature's Laws. 51 

standing near a pond or stream of water, 
where it has had a chance to produce a per- 
fect growth. By girding the bark at that 
time of the year there is nothing to make a 
new bark form. The sap goes up the tree, 
through the outer layers of wood, and when it 
returns through the layers of bark, there is a 
disconnection at the girded place. The tree 
not being able to make a perfect growth, 
which it would have without the girdle, it 
commences to die, and in the process it de- 
velops in tlie leaf the mineral coloring that is 
(contained in the life substance of the tree. 
Some trees showing scarlet and crimson 
leaves that are affected by the drouth, are in- 
juries that are less fatal and under favorable 
conditions it continues growth the following 
season, and wholly recovers, or may continue 
living in a weak condition for a few years 
before finally dying. 



52 The Science of Fruit Growing 

If the respiratory organs with which the 
bark is completely filled should cease their 
action from the effects of the first cold nights 
in the Fall and shut off the return of the sap 
to the roots, it would produce a similar effect 
to that produced if the tree was girdled at the 
roots. 

The apple colors very fast if left on the 
tree after a frost, which is a most drastic stop- 
ping of the formation of chlorophyll, without 
which the chemical coloring in the sap is more 
apparent. Trees that ripen their fruit in 
Summer develop its coloring on the fruit as it 
reaches its ripening stage, in most cases of 
which it is a deteriorating condition. Much 
depends on the construction of the individual 
nature of each variety and the favorable or 
unfavorable condition under which it exists. 
Trees and plants whose foliage throughout 



Based on Nature's Laws. 53 

their growing season are other than green, are 
so by primar}^ construction and not so con- 
structed by the process of growth. The most 
brilliant coloring in the leaf and fruit is pro- 
duced from the tree or plant that has the 
highest state of matured vitality in it at the 
time the ripening process is commencing, and 
the more rapid will be the change of coloring. 
A bearing apple tree living under conditions 
of slow growth, develops the coloring of its 
fruit much better than a tree that is making 
a more rapid growth, as it is near the ripen- 
ing stage most all the time. As an illustra- 
tion of a checked or stunted condition of 
growth produced, we will grow a tree by 
grafting a Baldwin scion on a Northern Spy 
tree that has been set in the orchard long 
enough to develop its bearing nature. The 
Baldwin variety, under the influence of heat, 
light and moisture, starts its growth in the 



54 J ht; Scicnir of hruil (iroivinfi 

S()riii;^ iihoiil, Icn <l;iy.s cnflicr- l.li;ui Uic Nortli 
(Til S|)y, hut JH iiol, nl)l(' lo do niiicli ^^rovvin^ 
iiiilil Uh' S()y JH /^rowin^ ciioii^^li lo i'ccd ii. 
In Mk' rncniil iinc llic I*;il(|\vin lins hccii cxisl 
in^' on il,H .s1,oi(m| vilnlily, ilic Hnnu! hh n lirnl) 
<'iil I'loni ;i lice wiili the HJUric rcHiill-H. Wlicn 
Mic linil on llijil Kind oj' n r.jddwin U'cc in 
;d)oid llic size of in;iil)l('S, il. is icd ;nid in lln^ 
niowt cnsi'H conlinncs so to he unlil l*'{dl, :ind 
not IxTiri^ HiinicicnUy I'cmI me undcrHizc^ lo 
wdinl, we k<'<' I>.V K'*<>win^ llic lice on oilier vji 
riclics ilini slnrl, llicii* /^rovvl.li \\\. llic snrnc 
I imc. 

Wc often s<'(' I'lMiils l,li;d, Jirc ciicclscd from 
(•lininlic cniises, wIhmi in llK^ir enrlicr ^rowinti^ 
Hcnson, show liij^li coloring I'loni liial, iinic iill 
li;ii\'<'slrd. ( )n(M' 1 lie ('((inponcnl, parts of vct^ 
('l;d>l<' life nrc ciicrnicjiIlN' s('|)jirnt('(l, they re 
nniin so unless hy naliire it is rein\'i;^"oriit('d 
w'il 11 eliloropliyll. 



Ildscd on Nature's Laws. 55 

Wlicn tlic l^'Jif HtopH making (•Jil()r()f)hyll, 
or W llic <;n>wiri^ frnil is not, id)l(' to ^ci po- 
\'(H',t (',\\\()ro\)\\y\\y (l(;t(*ri()raii()n ('.oiuuh^ucoh and 
llic cfK^rnic'als in ilic siif) show ilxMr coloring, 
vvliicli is nsnnlly yellow. Wlicri ilic rrnii in 
lli;il, ripcnin'^ sln'^c is receiving dirccl or rc- 
fl('(',l,(M| rays of ili<* sun, it shows n'd. ^Fhc laic 
.Innc (lr"of) oi* the n^l vaiiciies ol" ;if)f)l('S or a 
p.-u'jly ^^fown jif)f)le iluii is l\ill('<| by ;i worm 
lecdin*^- on its vitnl f)nrls, turns red in i[i(» 
f)roc,(;HH of dyin^. II is of a dinK.Y color, it 
/lot li;ivin«4" niaclicd ;i ili^^ri'i' of maturity to 
rorrn fjctfcct c-hcmicals Tor" jlic l)ri<z,ht red 
coloring. 

Natnn^ scc/ns to have n. ^aii^^' l)y wliicli it 
d('t(*rmin(^s tlu^ amount of frnit to set from 
the rnnltitndc of* hlossoms. It scuirns to Ix^ 
hnscd on the dc^i^rcc of d(iV('lof)mont of cac.li 
miniature part, ju<l^in^ from tin* kcrncdH of 



56 The Science of Fruit Growing 

corn set from the abundance of silk represent- 
ing the cob or ear. The kernels on the ear 
with a few exceptions are without a vacancy 
from the stock end of the cob as far on it as 
they are produced. Many other grains show 
a similarity of setting. 

The blossoming feature of everything 
seems to be well organized. It takes well- 
matured and real life substance to hold and 
grow the fruit after it is formed. 

The amount of pink coloring in the petals 
of fruit blossoms, especially the apple, and 
the length of time it holds it before turning 
white, represents the degree of matured vital- 
ity in the tree. Without the pink coloring in 
the petals the ability of the tree to hold and 
grow its fruit till picking time is uncertain. 
It is an indication of an undeveloped condi 
tion in the tree or its vitality has been greatly 
reduced by the elements of the weather. 



Based on Nature's Laws. 57 

The trees in setting their fruit are for the 
production of seed and are often too numerous 
to produce the size of pulp that is desired by 
the consumer. The fruit apparently is set too 
thick to produce the large specimens desired. 
They should be thinned, in order to give more 
nourishment to those that are left for devel- 
opment. In thinning the fruit it is best to use 
shears that are made for the purpose, as in 
removing a fruit when young by hand, it 
often loosens the one adjoining it with bad re- 
sults. The thinning should be done as early 
in the season as it becomes apparent that it 
should be done, as by so doing it will conserve 
the life substance of the tree to grow what is 
left. It requires all of a hundred times the 
mineral substance to grow the seed, core, pit 
and stem of fruit, that it does to produce the 
pulp, the development and perfection of 
which is the grower's desired product. 



5$ '/he Science of fruit Gtfrunng 

Wh^^n a fruit b^jaring ir^-A-, i^nffc.rri from a 
HurnrtK'.r rjrorjth, it in cauHi'jl by th<f rootn not 
furninhinj/ th^t iiccj'HViiry rriointun; and food. 
It liv<-H on it.H vitality, and oft<fn in rt-AncA'A 
til) it i.H not abU; to r^ornph-t^: th<r '/r<)Wih of itn 
fruit an nbown by tb** w^^ak r'>?llr; n^^ar thtt bb^w 
<rnd. ft I'-; not lik^Jy to prodijr-f- fruit th^- fo) 
biW'ing K/fawon, thou^^fi it rnay hlo.-.Horn pro- 

fliH^dy. 

itlp^ffiln^^ ih a f'.ondition forrn<;d by thr? 
Htoppin^^ of th<; making of r-iilorophyll in part 
or w'hobr and in r-ontroJU^d by tb** r^limatic 
r^ondition.-;. l''or <fxampb;, a n-d no:->fd, whit/i 
or y<;How ^:orn wiJI not d^iVf*b>p cobiring on 
tbe k<',ni('.\H If tfj<- making of ^-hlorophyl) in 
Huddonly ntopp^-d by an t-UtcXrw. Htorm, or 
front hcUtif' it n-iuthftH a HuiTic'u'Aii (U'VcAo})- 
mont, HO tfiat thr* r;brfmir;a)H forming tbr? Hap 
f;an HopardUt ^^nough to nbow thc'ir c/Aorn. 



Based on Nature's Imws. 59 



Other examples are numerous. When in that 
state they can only be jjre vented from (laciSLY- 
ing ?>y evaporating the moisture from them. 
They being an incomplete organism, are un- 
healthy for food. If eaten, it has to be elim- 
inated from the system as poison, if not by 
the organs intended for that work, then by an 
exodus through the skin, as exemplified by 
pimples, boils, carbuncles, etc., instead of be- 
ing an assistance for maintenance. They are 
on the same order for assimilation as tainted 
meat, spoiled eggs and partly decayed vege- 
tables, or those whose development was pre- 
maturely stopped through blight. 

I'o produce a perfect fruit, vegetable or 
grain, there should be all the requisite ele- 
ments in the soil in a soluble state to make 
a perfect growth. The plant should not be 
obliged or necessitated to make lime take the 



60 The Science of I'ruit Growing 

\)\iiCAt of fioiuHh or ()ih(*r OHHonlial iri^njdiontH, 
an it ofUtniirrHiH Ih. 

It iw alrnoHi irnpoHsibh* io kcc^f) lti(; JoavoH 
dcnr ()!* rniniatijn; Tu'c nt\(\ Fun^ii wli(;ri grown 
on irnfX'rIVM'i food. Pfiloxoria, a rnoHt (Irc/ddcd 
para.sitic; (JiH(*aH(i of Uh; grafxj hrjif of long 
Htari(Jing in l^'rano(», was (ilirninaUni by apply- 
ing a Jihoral amount of f)otaH[i io Ific; Hoil. 
^riicrc iivit oU)(*r irnf)rop(*r ingn;(Ji(intH in 
growl li, i\\id if knowfi and corroelctd would 
H;iv(t rnijcii spraying an(J f)ro(JiJc.(; a h(;tt(;r arti 
clc of food. 

Barring i\\(t hnd (dTcc.tH of an injnriouH 
(diniatic- fondiliofi, rriiij, h(*aring troos ought 
to fx'Jir ;i lijir siz(i orof) of fxjrioc.t fruit ovory 
y(*ar if tlic^ tr(!(; is giv(;n prop(;r oaro and nour- 
iKlirncint and tli(; fruit thinned sufficiciritly to 
cnahh* th(r troo to (Jov(;lof) th(i fruit without 
itH oxhauKtion h(;Iow ;i normal growing condi- 



Based on Nature's Laws. 61 

tion. '^rhis can Ix* dories without tlie uHe of 
f'uM^ii Kprays or f)oison (ixoept in a few caHes, 
and tlioHo only till wo oan loarn fiow to com- 
bat them with nature's agencies and put thcim 
in op(;ration. 

Many fruit trees would Ixi rnon* profitahh* 
if th(*y w(;r(? ^raftc'd to otlier varieties which 
can h(; done any time in th(.' Spring after the 
heavy freezing weather has f)ass(;d, till the 
leaves are half ^rown in size. The best time 
to do it is just before tlie buds start on the 
tree, as it would soon [)(; ready to furnish sap 
for its growth. Af)out one-half of th(i lar^e 
limbs should he ^raftcMJ (tiivM y(;ar, h-avin;^ 
on(* year fxdAvccri i\\i\ ^raftin^. '^IHiis wi'I 
ieavci (;nc>u^h leaves to make the necessary 
amount of cidorophyll to k(*(ip the tree in a 
normal condition of growth. After the second 
grafting has made onr; year's growth all 



62 The Science of Fruit Growing 

the remaining ungrafted limbs can be re- 
moved. The s(3ions sliouhl be cut from bear- 
ing trees in the Fall after the leaves on them 
have fallen and before there is hard freezing 
weather. The scions should be put in a sepa- 
rate tight box, packed in hay, straw, waste or 
sawdust, and put in a cool place where they 
will not freeze, till used. The middle third 
of the scion is the best to use. There is so 
much sap passing over the first third of the 
scion from the tree end, the buds do not fully 
develop; if used they are so slow in starting 
to grow that they do not prove satisfactory. 
The last third of the scion in the most of va- 
rieties are not fully matured and are more 
likely to dry up when grafted before they can 
receive nourishment from the tree. The stub 
should be grafted as soon as the limb is cut 
off, the end of the limb and the crack on the 
sides of the limb that was made by the split- 



Based on Nature's Laws. 63 

ting of the limb, in order to insert the scion, 
should be covered with wax and at least four 
inches below where you can see the crack, as 
the bark often dries and shows the crack ex- 
tended below what is apparent. The waxing 
should be done to keep the air out. A little 
wax put on the end of the scion will keep it 
from drying. The scion should be cut wedge 
shape for at least one inch, with two buds on 
it. When set firmly in the crack made by 
splitting the end of the limb, the inner part of 
the bark of both the scion and limb should 
come together, to make sure the scion can be 
set a little crossing the two inner barks. The 
grafting should be done in a mild day, so the 
wax will work freely. Use no grease but tal- 
low to put on your hands, to keep the wax 
from sticking to them, and not any more 
grease than is necessary, as it requires but 
little to kill a scion. To prevent the wind 



64 The Science of Fruit Growing 

from breaking out the scion where it grows 
too fast the first Summer, it can be kept 
cut back to twelve to eighteen inches in 
length. The wax is made by boiling for 
^\e minutes after it is melted over a slow 
fire in a kettle that holds at least five 
times the amount of the following ingredients. 
Four pounds of rosin, two pounds of beeswax 
and one-half pint of boiled linseed oil. 
Stir it well and see it does not boil 
over; if inclined to, remove it from the fire 
for a minute or two, and then replace. When 
done pour it in a tub containing fifty times 
the amount of water to cool it, and then pull 
it as you would in making candy, for five min- 
utes, and leave it in chunks the size of a ball. 
When wanted to use put it in warm water till 
it is soft. 

The quince is one of the most profitable 
fruits grown and is one of the most neglected. 



Based on Nature's Laws. 65 

It being a bush, its roots live near the surface 
of the ground. Its nature requires a very 
even degree of moisture throughout the grow- 
ing season. It cannot stand excessive wet or 
dry conditions as well as fruit trees. If the 
quince bush fails to receive the necessary 
amount of moisture for the growing and ma- 
turing of its fruit at the last of the fruit-grow- 
ing season, the fruit cells will break down, 
which makes a fine place for fungi to grow. 
In some cases the condition is so bad that the 
fruit is worthless. Light showers or dews 
prepare the skin over the broken cells of fruit 
to receive the fungii more readily. The crack- 
ing open of fruit is the result of a rapid 
growth following a stunted condition. The 
orchard should be cultivated often and shal- 
low, and not allow weeds or a cover crop to 
take the moisture at the critical time of its 
development. These are some of the condi- 



66 The Science of Fruit Growing 

tions when it is advisable to sow salt or cover 
the ground with a thick covering of hay, 
straw or any coarse mulching, to keep the air 
and sun from evaporating the moisture. The 
bush should be grown as a bush, and not with 
any length of body. It needs a little thinning 
out from the inside, otherwise it will adjust 
itself to conditions. It does best on rich soil. 
The bush does not have visible fruit buds, but 
grows one-half inch or more in the Spring be- 
fore it blossoms. It depends on the amount of 
the matured vitality in the limb to set and 
hold its fruit. Like peaches and some other 
trees, it is often infected with borers, a little 
grub that lives on the inside of the tree. They 
are hatched from an Qgg, that is laid in the 
bark near the ground by a fly that is easily 
caught by toads. The grubs are best dug out 
of the tree by using a quarter inch gauge 
chisel, starting at the hole leading to the grub 



Based on Nature's Laws. 67 

that is apparent from the fine borings, and 
chisel out the bark by following the burrows 
left by the grub till it is found. Nature will 
soon heal the chiseled opening. 

The fruit of the strawberry consists of a 
little pulp, a thin skin well filled with a highly 
flavored juice or water. When the plant fails 
to furnish the fruit with the necessary mois- 
ture for its development, the skin stops filling, 
leaving the berry of small size. A good way 
to aid the plant to get the necessary moisture 
is to plant the rows at least five feet apart and 
cultivate the ground as often as it is neces- 
sary to keep the land moist or mulch with 
litter and irrigate. The plant is a free feeder 
and does its best growing, in a comparatively 
few days, in the early part of the growing 
season. 

The pulp of fruit consists of a combination 



68 The Science of Fruit Growing 

of organisms that require a sufficient amount 
of fresh air to aid it in the completion of its 
cycle of life from the time it is picked till it 
reaches a decayed state, at which time it does 
not furnish nourishment to the animal sys- 
tem. 

If fruit is x>icked when the temperature is 
above the normal and put in a close package 
in that condition, and stored in a close, un- 
ventilated room for any length of time, the 
cells of the fruit will commence to collapse, 
and will soon show it, in some varieties, in the 
form that is called scald, on the outside while 
it is ripening the fruit through its whole. 

If fruit must be packed when it is hot, it 
should be put where the heat will be taken 
out as soon as possible, and kept with as little 
fluctuation of temperature as possible. A 
stream of water flowing through the room 



Based on Nature's Laws. 69 

where the fruit is kept adds materially to its 
keeping (juality, as shown in its firmness and 
flavor. 

When the fruit is taken from the cold 
storage, its temperature should be raised 
gradually, to the height in which it is ex- 
pected to be kept until used. Fruit that is 
frozen should be treated in the same way, to 
prevent it from showing its disastrous effect 
immediately. The warm, moist atmosphere 
of Spring has an ideal process of extracting 
frost from everything with as little loss of 
life as possible. 

Trees, especially peach trees, should not 
be excessively cut back for the purpose of 
forcing a growth of a large sized fruit. It 
does not give a tree a chance to fully develop 
all its constructive parts. Under that condi- 
tion it more readily succumbs to extreme 



70 The Science of Fruit Growing 



climatic conditions and dies at an early age, 
and is more likely to be infected with insects 
and diseases. 

The leaves, which constitute the manu- 
facturing power of life, should be increased in 
numbers instead of decreased on every bear- 
int>- tree and plant, that their combined work 
can produce more matured vitality in the 
short season of growth. 

A little study on these lines will lead one 
to see where more leaves can be grown on a 
tree, and at the same time not interfere with 
the light and air striking the leaves located 
near where the fruit is growing. 

Nature has provided for leaves to die 
when they get too thick, and shaded too mucli 
to be useful for growth. In this let nature 
have its way, at least on the leaves growing 
on the limbs and body near the ground. 



Based on Nature's Laws. 71 

A well enriched clay loam of good depth, 
underlaid with porous red clay with some lit- 
tle gravel stones mixed in it, seems to be the 
strongest and best soil for the growth of all 
kinds of trees and plants; especially in flow- 
ers where bright colors are desired, the potash 
and iron that is more plentiful in such soil, 
form the basis of the colors in flowers and 
fruits. It is easier to keep the trees and 
plants in a continuous growth than in other 
soils. It is very clearly demonstrated in the 
blossoming of Hybrid Perpetual Roses, which 
require a strong continuous growth for a con- 
tinuous blossom of large bright colored roses. 
Fruits and flowers grown on such soil have a 
solidity that adds materially to their keeping 
quality. 

Home decoration and landscape attraction 
is becoming more appreciated than in former 
years, as there are many more who can have 



72 The Science of Fruit Growing 

what was formerly reserved for the rich. Iq 
cultivating a taste for the best effect every- 
thing should be arranged so it will appear, oji 
sight, to be just as it should be by nature. The 
house, located with reference to the road and 
other permanent improvements. The walks, 
leading from the house to the road or drive, 
where they would be most accessable for the 
greatest number likely to use them. 

In locating the large growing trees which 
are likely to be the longest standing, make 
full allowance for the space they will occupy 
when full grown, whether they are set for 
beauty or shade, or their combination. Other 
space that would seem to be more attractive 
or restful to the eye, can be planted to smaller 
growing trees or shrubbery. 

The selfish feature has so disappeared that 
the planting of hedges to keep the home 



Based on Nature's Laws. y^ 



isolated, or protected from mischievous peo- 
ple, has been largely done away with. 

The lawns extended to the edge of the 
path, with beds containing attractive flowers 
a little way inside of the border, is too often 
to be admired, without little urchins playing 
on the lawn, that give the home its best effect. 

The back yard, depending on its size, 
should be planted to vegetables and summer 
ripening fruits as they, by all means, want to 
be used when freshly picked. The largest 
trees should be located first, where, when 
grown, the limbs or shade of them will not 
extend over the line of the lot, other trees of 
smaller growing size should be located next, 
and then the berries and other small fruits. 
If the space is limited, grape vines can be 
used for covering screens and allowed to grow 
as high as is consistent with looks. 



74 



Till- S( ir>ic(' of I'niil Growing 



Tlic wnlks should cxIcmkI jiroinid tlic ^jir- 
(l(Mi ;m<l williiii ;i short dislnncc ol" Ihr lonce 
Of (Milsi<h'. The \\;dk shonhl he i\[ h'nsl live 
Tccl, \vi<h', so \\\i\\ two jM'i'soiis cnii \v;ill< 
nhrcnsl <'iri<l iiol he (lislnrbcd by the vc^iv 
tjihh's or hcnies .^rowiiii;" iirnr il. A IdxTal 
supply ol' Mowcriiii; pliinls Mini ni'c sniinhh* 
for honcpicls, will coid rilmie oricntiincs, to 
pl('<'isniil lhoii,i;hts niid ;idinirniioii. 

Ilic lihcrjd phuil.in,!;" of rcrcfminls ninke 
1 he i^jirdcii look hoiiiclihc ;ind suhslnniial. 

Also Mk' phndiiiJ^' of ciocusos, liilips ;nid 
hy.Mciiil lis, iidcriiini^lcd wilh (he lily of the 
Njdlcy, pl;inl('<l \wav Ihc walk, inosl i'r(» 
(pionlcd ill cjnly spi'iiii;", will rcpi-esenl w feci 
ifii;" of i^ood cIkmm* with (lie .Mdvoni of Spi'ini;' 
in si roiii;- colli rnsl ol' Wilder. I^lic swo(d Vi\\\x, 
lisli \iol('ls liaviiii;" hceii pi*o\'ionsly jidmircMl 
;is the promise ol' llieii' conrm.n*. 



Based on Nature's Iaizvs. 75 

h\ laying- out a piil)li(' park, tlio first 
thou;:i^ht should be to have all of its entrances 
extending an invitation for everyone to enter, 
and enjoy its f>leasant features. 

If the park is larg(^, its drives should be 
laid out, first in conformity with whatever 
tli(^ f)(»nnanent interesting features there may 
be, and what is contemplated to be con- 
structed. Th(i entertaining features should 
be divided into two or more places. Those 
intended for children should be located where 
it is the easiest reached, that they may visit 
them often. Those intended more for grown 
people can be located further away, and in 
such places as will make i\w. whole park inter 
esting. The drives and paths should be wide, 
and graded to conform with the surround- 
ings. They should be constructed with a tile 
drain in their center, laid at a depth of four 
or live feet, with frequent side outlets to let 



Id The Science of Fruit Growing 

the water off. The ditch should be filled with 
one foot of coarse gravel, and above that with 
small size stones to the top, making a well 
drained bed to build the road on, whether of 
dirt, concrete or asphalt. The making of a 
dry road bed is the primary feature of mak- 
ing a road for durability, and will be used 
more extensively when people have learned 
its value. In putting the drain under the 
center of the road, it is not as likely to freeze 
as when put on either side, and is always 
ready to care for any water that comes to it. 
The deeper it is made and the longer it stands, 
the wider space and better it will drain. 

In planting the larger growing trees, care 
should be taken to place them where they will 
not have to be removed. Never nearer than 
twelve feet of a drive, or six feet from a 
walk, if space will permit. 



Based on Nature's Laws. 77 

There should be sun drives and walks, and 
shade drives and walks. In laying out the 
drives and walks, allowance should be made 
for their being made wider, when the use of 
the park is more fully developed. Trees 
planted in groups, forming little groves, are 
very desirable. Bright color flowering or 
foliage shrubs planted in masses are more at 
tracting than mixed varieties. 

Unpleasant surroundings are better 
screened with mixed trees and shrubbery, 
than by hedges. Hedges, like fences, represent 
a restricted area which should not exist in 
an Americanized park. 

The gymnasium feature of the park 
should be located on high and dry ground, 
and where the purest and best air can be had, 
as when growing children are exercising, 
they inhale more air, and it should be of the 



78 Thr Scit'tur of I'niit Cirowing 

best. T\\v triif)(>zo, swings nnd other features 
should ho sullioiouily variod to uso ov(Mv 
uiusoh' i!i Iho nsiiiij,- of ihom and to lit the tasto 
and oujoynuMit of as many as practical. 

'riic hii'ds and animals on cxhihitiou 
should he of an cIcNatiiii; nature instead of 
demoi'ali'/ini;-, as they oftentimes are. 

There should he pUuity of driukiui»' ])lac(^s 
with the host of watei", and places o\' neces- 
sit\, not ojdy sanitary, but r(^sf)octfully k(»pr,. 

To have a cultivated plot where <*ach in- 
dividual class or school can have a V(\i;'etahl(^ 
and llowiM' ,i;ard(Mi, is ix^^od to teach and vu- 
courai;"e the human mind to have an intcu'est 
in the i^arth's surface, and what and how 
tinui;s i;row on it. I^ater it will inspire* tin* 
desin^ to ha\(» a houu» oi' their own, th(» [)0s- 
sossion o\' which is a stroui»' iVature in nature, 
to become i-eliabh% satislied and inter(*stc(l iu 



Based on Nature's Laws. 79 

their good and the good of all others, vvliich is 
well named Aiiu'ricanism. 

Smaller parks ean be laid out on these 
lines so contracted as to fit the size of the 
plot. 

The fuel problem can, and will be solved, 
by tlie [)lanting and growing of trees to be 
used for heating and other purposes. The 
Norway maple for the Northern states, and 
the Sycamore for the Southern states, have 
the lead over other varieties in hardiness, 
rapidity of growth, with comparative value 
for fuel and lumber purposes. Others are 
(^lose seconds with specific values, such as 
catalpa and locus for posts and railroad 
ties, lindens, walnuts, ashes and pines for 
lumb(^r. All of which can be grown in con- 
nc^ction with other crops with great y)rofit. By 
sowing their seed on a well prepared ground. 



HO The Science of J'ruit Growing 

Mic sninc jis is used for wheat in the Fall, as 
soon as they can be secured ni'tov they arc^ 
ripe, in rows roiii* Feet apart, with f)lenty of 
room at the ends for a horse and cultivator to 
tnrn on. ^V\h) furrows for the* seed to be sown 
in should he one linlT inch deep, and four 
inches wide. Seatlci" the seed in it at the rate 
of nhonl lwcid> li\'c seed lo Ihe liiH^al foot, 
and cox'er e\'eidy with one hnll' inch of dir't. 
Cnre should he tnken to see that the Innd does 
not crust in the spiini;", ;is such S(Hm1 have but 
litth* liftinti,' power wIkmj starting' to grow in 
the Spring. In their wild stnte they are most 
always found starting uikUm- a light mould oi" 
lenves. '^Phe crust, if starting to form, can be 
broken by rnking lightly as often as it starts, 
oi- covered with one-hnH* inch of line sand, 
and watered freely. The soil should be culti- 
vated, hoed, and fr(»ed of weeds, the same as 
corn is cared for. WIhmi the seedlings have 



Based on Nature's Laws. 81 

matured their growth, they should be dug in 
the Fall or the following Spring, and the cen- 
ter root cut off, leaving the root from eight to 
ten inches long, and all the side roots should 
be cut off to within one-eighth of an inch of 
the main root; this is for the purpose of pre- 
venting any roots being bent when set, as they 
often prove to be injurious in later years. 

In planting them for the forest, first plow 
and fit the land the same as for corn, mark it 
out both ways, ten feet apart. Plant the trees 
with a dibble, be sure that you fasten the bot- 
tom of the root tight, and fill up the holes 
made by the dibble so the ground will not dry 
to injure the root. Put no manure or water 
near the plant when setting. Plant the field 
with hoed crops, and treat the trees the same 
as the crops till the trees get large enough to 
render the cropping unprofitable. The only 



S2 The Science of I'ruit Groiving 

triniiniiii*- iKM'dcd or nllowablo on the trees is 
io s(H' that there is only one limb a i^row- 
in.ii: in the center. When the lower limbs com- 
menee to die from tlu^ (effects of their shade, 
cut out every other I'ow diagonally, or as fast 
as it seems best for the i^ood of the remainin,2; 
trees. In plantinj;" do not mix nut bearin.iJ^ 
tr(M»s with seed bearing trees, as they are pois- 
onous to them. 

Th(* most of forest trees and especially the 
black walnut, butternut and hickory are pois- 
oning to IVnit-bearing trees, and wIumi stand- 
ing too near them will kill them in time. The 
fruit-bearing trees show their effects by grow- 
ing leaning away from them and tlu^ leaves 
show a weakness, indicating that the poison 
comes from the leaves as well as their roots. 
All leaves have a luiture to repel each other. 
Th(^ stronger leaves absorb the vitality and 
take the place of the weaker ones. 



Based on Nature's Laws. 83 

In heating your house with a furnace do not 
depend on it to force the hot air into the room 
that is already filled with air to heat it. Let 
the cold air, which is the heaviest, have a 
chance to pass out tlirough a register located 
in or near the floor, and connected with a pipe 
leading to the bottom of the furnace, forming 
a vacuum in tlie room to be readily replaced 
with hot air from the furnace forming a circu- 
lation. The cold air from the room becomes 
lighter as it is warmed by the furnace. It is 
much less work to ventilate the house by 
opening the doors or windows, than it is to 
produce twice the necessary fuel needed to 
heat by induction, than it requires to heat by 
the circulation of air. Air, like water, when 
kept in motion, is much purer than wdien at 
rest or nearly so. 



I 



i 



I 



I 



THE SCIENCE OF FRUIT GROWING 
BASED ON NATURE'S LAWS 

Part III 

OR WHAT MAY BE MORE PROPERLY CALLED 
THE THIRD YEARS WRITINGS 



To produce a fruit-bearing tree containing 
the highest state of matured vitality that it 
may produce the largest percentage of first- 
clas^ fruit, it should have at least as much 
space for its roots to feed in where the sun's 
rays would strike it as is the space shaded by 
its most extended limbs. Many bearing 
orchards, where the trees are standing too 
near together to produce nice fruit, would be 
more profitable if one-half of the trees were 



86 



The Science of Fruit Growing 



cut out at the ground. Preferably taking 
every other diagonal row. 

There would not be any beneficial results 
expected from taking the leaves from the 
lower one-third of a stalk of growing corn, 
tobacco or cotton plant, as soon as they are 
nicely formed. It is violating the same prin- 
ciple of growth in denying the fruit-bearing 
tree of the benefits that follow by having 
short twigs growing thickly on its body and 
along the larger limbs. At least one-half of 
nature's requirements to produce a properly 
developed fruit-bearing tree is taken from it 
by the present system practiced in trimming 
orchards. 

In growing from the seed pines, spruces 
and such other trees as are found in their 
native condition growing in shady places, it is 
better to have the seed-bed shaded with cheese 



Based on Nature's Laws. 87 

cloth placed from one to two feet above the 
ground for the first season, as the strong rays 
of the sun often burn them on their first ap- 
pearance above the ground. 

In transplanting pines and spruces it is 
best to choose the time when their buds are 
breaking to grow, it being found that thej^ 
will overcome the injuries incidental to the 
transplanting more quickly, and with less 
loss, than when done at other conditions of 
the yearns growth. If the tree is of large size 
in proportion to its roots (obtained by dig- 
ging), it is an advantage to the tree to protect 
it from the sun and the evaporation of the 
winds by wrapping it with coarse burlap for 
a few weeks, while it is getting rooted. 

If the season is bordering on a condition of 
drouth, the ground, for a circle of eight feet, 
should be heavily mulched and the dirt 



88 The Science of fruit Growing 

should be frequently wet to tlie depth of two 
feet, varying according to conditions, from 
once to twice a week, oftener if the conditions 
require it, to keep the ground moist, but not 
wet enough to prevent the air from penetrat- 
ing the soil. Cold water from wells or 
hydrants, should not be used until its temper- 
ature is raised to that of the ground, by ex- 
posure to the air or other means. 

If recently planted trees or bushes are slow 
in starting their growth at growing time in 
the spring, they can often be started by pour- 
ing a quart or two of as warm water as you 
can hold your hand in, over the limbs and 
body of them, allowing it to run down the 
body to the roots, at evening or on a cloudy 
day. A few applications will start the buds, 
after which, the tree will continue growing. 

It is better to have recently planted trees 



Based on Nature's Laws. 89 

start their growth promptly in the spring 
growing season. If the starting of their 
growth is delayed till in late spring or sum- 
mer, they are liable to continue their growth 
too late in the fall and by it suffer from 
winter freezes. 

When deciduous trees are being trans- 
planted their leaves, if any are on the trees, 
should be stripped off at the time of digging. 
If allowed to remain they draw the moisture 
from the tree, putting it in a bad condition to 
stand future evaporation from the elements 
of the weather. A few minutes' delay in 
stripping the leaves in a warm, drying day, 
makes a difference of stripping to picking 
off the leaves. So deteriorating is the effect 
of leaving the leaves on scions cut for bud- 
ding purposes, it is best to cut the leaves off 
from each scion as soon as it is cut from the 
tree. 



90 The Science of J'ruit Growmy 

Ab Roinc of Mic less lini'dy orriariK^nljil irccH 
jukI slinihs cjiii he ^rovvn in ilic Norilicrn 
slnlcs hy ;jjivin;jj proic^ctioii fioni llic cold, \.\\{\ 
more liJirdy irecw cun he K'*<>wn in f)iirts oi* tlio 
S()ntli(!rn Hiut(;H, by protcictin^ tlicni from the 
hot rayH of the HiiniriK^r sun. 

Hie hcst spec'iincns of tlic nioi-c Icnjicious 
liber in trees sueh ns hickory, whiter oak, 
orjuiK<' JJ'id others, ai'e fonnd to b(i growing 
in tlicii' natives [)hi(M^s on h*ind that has a (h'cf), 
I)orous, chiy subsoil; trees of less tenacious 
li))er are Found on lands ran;;in<'' from muck 
to sandy soil, or all eornbinalions of them. 
While li^ht(.'r soils can ^row th(; trees and 
sonu'tliin^ of fruit, the b<^st siz(»s and quality 
are obtained on land that is best ada[)ted for 
their growth. 

(^are should be taken in preserving tlu^ new 
growth of ti-ees in the cut-over forest witli a 



Based on Nature's Laws. 91 



view of continuing ttieir growtii to a f)ropcT 
size for timlxjr. The waste of the cut-over 
timber, when too much to be saved for fuel, 
can be cut in small pieces and spread evenly 
over the ground to help hold the falling 
leaves and to form vegetable mohl by decay- 
ing and at the same time to act as a mulch 
which is a great benefit to growing timber. 
It renders the conditions less liable for forest 
fires, which are admitted to be very disastrous 
to them. Trees growing in thick clumps can 
be transplanted, when of small size, to op(;n 
spaces at an average of ten feet apart and 
others thinned by cutting out to approx- 
imately tlie same distanc(», this would give 
each tree a chance to grow from the first, 
instead of leaving them to grow in a battle of 
life under the law of the sui'vival of the 
strongest, until nature lias killed the sur- 
rounding trees and at the same time, the sur- 



*^J J hi' Science of Iritil (Jr owing 

vivor is \v<'nlv iiiid smnllcr in coinpnriHon vvilli 
(,li(* jicc ^Towiiii*" in llic ojx'n IVoiii llic Jii'sl. 

Tlic loicsl, does not ^ivo \'('i-v ^oo{\ iinibor 
IVoni li-(M's slniidiii^ n(»nr(»r ilinn ten reel nrid 
in rnosl (•ns<»H Mi<» disinncc is Ihifl y IVct nparl. 
Wlicic l)ii; lirnlx'i' is desired, the iices cnn )k» 
lliinncil in \\\{vv ycjii's when inncli of it tnUcn 
out will he vnlnnldc ioi" injuiy |Mir|M)s<'S. Such 
vai'irtics ol" ti'ccs slunild he i^i'own in w ToiN'st 
ns wonid hr Hk' most \}dnjd)l(» timber when 
grown, ns Inr ns Ilic soil nnd clinuitic condi- 
tions would fnvor. 

l^its ninl mits of trocs cnn b(^ sncci^ssriilly 
kept I'oi' sevoinl yeni's, if desired, bel'oie 
plnntini;", b>' biiiyini; lliem three or four 
I'eet deep in n modei'njcly dry soil, ns 
tliey will not ^"erminnte in soil of Hint t(Mn 
perjdnre. I^lie bncteria do(\s not linvi* the 
powei* at that depth of soil to d(M*ompose tln^ 



Based on Nature's Lazvs. 93 

iiiinl, ^luc inatci'ial i'orrninj^ the connecting' 
bIicIIh of nuts, I'or hcvci'uI years. It, is for 
this reason wo lind (clover, nnd otlici* [)lants, 
liave ^rown from soil tnkcn ten to twenty 
feet ])(»low the snrface of the ground. We 
liave no IcnowhMl^c of the a^"e of tli(^ seed fi-oni 
wliich the f)hint.s ^rew, they are mostly of 
those kinds of seed that ;u-e eov(»red with a 
natural ^um or rosin. M;ich kind of seed has 
its sf)ecinc decree of heat nnd moisture neces- 
sary for its gc^rmi nation after which it battles 
for life through varied conditions of (exist- 
ence*, lu thinnin<j^ out the trees in a forc'st 
such KJiould 1)(» tak(^n as an* of minor imf)()rt- 
anco wlien com[)are(l witii tlie future value of 
tlios(^ to be left, and th(^ favorable chances 
for thos(» to develof). 

Kvery farm should hav(» an orchard of nut- 
bearing trees growing on it, of such varic^tios 
as are adapted to its soil and climate, as well 



94 The Science of Fruit Growing 

as its fruit-bearing trees, bushes and vines. 
The oil taken from nuts when eaten, is more 
efficient to restore physical exhaustion, than 
animal fats or vegetable sugar and starch. 

Trees whose nature show a tendency to 
grow upright and tall, have a corresponding 
nature for their roots to go deep into the 
ground, as shown by the sugar maple, oaks, 
spruces, oranges, standard pears and some 
varieties of apples, such as Northern Spy and 
Baldwin. Trees having more of a low-spread- 
ing top, such as Roxbury Russett, Rhode 
Island Greening, Birch, Elm, Hemlock and 
others, have their system of roots near the 
surface of the ground and can be made to 
flourish on shallower soil than the other kinds 
named; while they may live and grow, the 
fruit-bearing trees fail to produce satisfac- 
tory crops of fruit. 



Based on Nature's Laws. 95 

Shallow soils are much improved in pro- 
ductiveness by deep underdraining which re- 
duces the water of the soil to a lower level. 
In other places, ponds and small lakes with 
open ditches leading to them, located on the 
hill or mountain sides or any other place, to 
hold the surplus spring and flood waters until 
it could later percolate through the soil, 
would be helpful in connection with the vapor 
arising from them which would ameliorate 
the atmosphere and often check the disastrous 
effects of a drouth on forest or farming lands 
and furnish drinking places for livestock or 
to aid in putting out fires. The dry climatic 
changes brought about by the cutting of the 
forest and draining of swamp lands is so un- 
favorably affecting the growing of certain 
field crops in some sections, that other kinds 
of crops are being grown in their places. 



96 The Science of Fruit Growing 

Plants or trees should not be watered too 
often or too much at a time when growing, as 
it tends to make the plant tender and more 
susceptible to bad results from climatic 
changes. If trees purchased are badly dried 
when received, it is better to bury them in 
moderately dry soil, sand preferably, for ten 
days or more before planting by burying the 
roots and three-fourths of the body and 
limbs; the soil will frequently restore the 
dried condition to a plump, healthy state, 
when they can be planted with success. Do 
not wet the trees or ground when heeled in 
as described for gradually restoring the vital- 
ity; it has the same disastrous effect as taking 
the frost out of plants or trees too quickly. 
The tops of trees should not all be buried up 
when heeled in for recovery, as they seem to 
require air, even in that state. 

The most natural climatic conditions to 



Based on Nature's Laws. 97 

maintain the best service of the bacteria in 
decomposing the vegetable substance in the 
soil and fitting it into a digestible food for 
vegetable growth, is a warm, moist atmos- 
phere. The variations from that condition 
affect growth in proportion to their extent. 
If cold, it slackens the circulation of its sap 
and respiration, the same as by a droutli. If 
hot, its growth is retarded by excessive evap- 
oration, the same as by wind. Frequent 
stirring or cultivating the surface of the soil 
produces good sub-soil conditions for the 
right kind of bacteria to produce vegetable 
food for the more desirable and substantial 
products. 

The more humus or vegetable matter in- 
corporated in sandy and clay soils and their 
combinations, the better to produce bacteria 
of a fermenting condition similar to that of 
emptyings. This aids in the process of de- 



98 The Science of Fruit Growing 

composing the ingredients in the soil that are 
necessary for the production of vegetable 
growth. 

The more regular the fermenting condition 
in the soil and at the highest tension, the 
greater the rapidity of growth under warm, 
moist and sunny conditions. This fermenting 
process is sensitive to erratic changes, such as 
excessive amount of watering, cold atmos- 
phere, extended drouth and the conditions 
incidental to it. The fermenting condition 
should be started as early in the spring as is 
consistent with good farming and continued 
with as little interruption as possible through 
the growing season. The more humus in the 
soil the less is the tendency of the surface to 
crust. 

Grains, vegetables and fruits are mucli 
benefitted by radiated heat, that is heat rising 



Based on Nature's Laws. 99 

from the ground, it seems to stablize the con- 
dition of growth and may carry with it val- 
uable substances in the air that are beneficial 
to growth, as many plants of those that live 
and flourish in the air seem to do better in a 
location where there is an abundance of de- 
composing vegetable matter beneath them, 
such as orchids, dodder and others; a condi- 
tion that is not the most healthful to the_ ani- 
mal kingdom as is often seen by people living 
there having malaria fever and ague and 
other diseases caused by the bite of mos- 
quitoes bred or produced from that condition. 

Flat stones should not be placed on the sur- 
face of the ground around trees in such a 
position that the reflected rays would strike 
the trunks of trees, as the excessive heat pro- 
duced by them is injurious to the trees, 
especially during the early or late parts of 
the growing season. If it is found convenient 



100 The Science of Fruit Growing 

to put heavy stones on the roots of recently 
transplanted trees of large size to prevent the 
ill-effects of strong winds on them, the stones 
should be covered with dirt or a sufficient 
mulch to prevent the producing of strong re- 
flected rays. Eipening grain, especially bar- 
ley, when growing near young trees, has a 
similar effect on the trees as flat stones. 

Quince and other soft wooded bushes are 
propagated by cuttings or layers. Sprout 
layers, which are the most sure, are obtained 
by cutting off the bush when from one-half 
to one inch in diameter, about three inches 
above the ground, before the buds start in the 
spring. The stub left will start many sprouts. 
When they are twelve to eighteen inches high 
or about the 1st of July, the lower part of the 
sprouts should be covered with fine, rich soil 
to a depth of six to eight inches, depending 
on the growth made. A broad enough mound 



Based on Nature's Laws. 101 

should be made so it will not dry out, the 
sprouts will soon turn root color and send out 
fine roots, making nice plants. These are cut 
off from the main stock each spring, leaving 
one-half inch of the sprout, after which other 
sprouts will grow, to be treated as before. 
They will increase in numbers each year as 
the plant grows older. 

To propagate by cuttings, they should be 
cut from the stocks as soon in the fall season 
as the leaves are off and cut into short pieces 
about seven inches long, leaving one bud one- 
half inch from the top, then tie in bunches 
not over six inches in diameter, and set in 
moist sand with the big end down in a moist 
cellar where they will not dry out until 
planting time in the spring. In the mean- 
time the end of the cutting will callous over 
and often start roots. The land for planting 
should be well prepared and the cutting 



102 The Science of Fruit Growing 

planted with as little exposure to the air in 
the act as possible; to puddle them is a great 
advantage. The cutting should be taken 
from the present season's growth and when 
planted, should be of such a depth that its 
top bud is just above the ground with the dirt 
well packed around it, especially the lower 
end. The cultivation should be the same as 
other plants require. 

Vines can be rooted when growing by bury- 
ing short sections of them six inches deep, 
every two feet, if done in July and allowed 
to remain in the ground for two years, in most 
cases, before taking up and dividing. All 
plants propagated from layers or cuttings, 
perpetuate their variety in fruits and flowers. 

The tops of all root storing plants, espec- 
ially sweet and Irish potatoes, should be sev- 
ered from the plants as soon as they are af- 



Based on Nature's Laws. 103 

fected by frost or blight, in order to stop the 
disorganized matter forming in the leaves and 
stalks from its effects, from being stored in 
the tubers, which would cause an early decay 
of the whole tuber and if eaten as food it 
would prove injurious to the consumer. Bush 
or tree fruits whose leaves have been de- 
stroyed prematurely by insects, blight or 
other causes, are of this same order of disor- 
ganized substances, as they do not change 
from their tannin stage of growth to a digesti- 
ble starch or sugar condition as is necessary 
for the making of healthy animal substance or 
nourishment. 

The pupa or grubs that feed on plants and 
their roots are becoming very numerous and 
destructive. Those that live in their pupa 
state in the ground are greatly reduced in 
numbers by plowing the land, especially in the 
fall, which turns their shell or cocoon over in 



104 The Science of Fruit Growing 

which condition water can enter the shell 
through an opening, and kill the pupa that, by 
nature, is placed on the underside of the shell, 
a condition by which water cannot enter it. 
Many of their millers are caught by birds, 
wasps, hornets and other flying insects that 
live on their inferiors in strength and by un- 
favorable climatic changes when they are 
emerging from their pupa state. Othermse 
they would control the growing condition of 
the world. When a tree, plant or animal is 
once infested Avdth insects it is harder to rid it 
of them, as the insects breeding on it reduces 
the quality of sap or blood to a more palatable 
condition for them, under which conditions, 
they increase in numbers more rapidly. This 
is especially true of the white fly of the South 
and the pearpersilla and apple aphis of the 
North. 

Too frequent spra^dng with thick material 



Based on Nature's Laws. 105 

and arsenic poison, especially on the under- 
side of the leaf, will reduce the vitality of 
many trees to such an extent that they cannot 
hold their fruit to maturity. Though they 
blossom profusely, the arsenic is absorbed 
through the pores of the leaf and limbs and 
has to be eliminated from the tree the same 
as from the system of a person. It fails to 
develop its fruit and leaves in size, solidity, 
and is in a receptive condition for fungus to 
grow. It impairs the vitality of the tree in 
proportion to the amount absorbed, and if 
too much is applied so the tree cannot elimin- 
ate it, it will kill the tree, root and branch. 
Arsenic is used to kill trees when it is desired 
to do so quickly and efficaciously, so that the 
roots will not sprout. 

Arsenic, prepared the same as for spray- 
ing, diluted by 32 lbs. of water to one pound 
of arsenic, will kill trees, root and branch, if 



106 The Science of Fruit Growing 

applied in comparative small quantities to the 
inner bark and outer wood of a tree. Arsen- 
ic is a stimulant to the animal system when 
taken for a short time in very small quan- 
tities. If continued, it impairs the circulation 
of blood, which accounts for the white ap- 
pearance of the complexion of those who take 
it for that purpose. At the same time, it is 
destroying the life fiber throughout the entire 
system; it being accumulative, like lead poi- 
son, renders the system inefficient and later 
kills. The increasing numbers of pearpersilla 
and apple aphis, indicate a low state of vital- 
ity in the tree, that may have been produced 
by too frequent and excessive spraying with 
arsenic poison, covering a period of several 
years. 

The worm and egg-eating birds should be 
protected in the forests as well as in the 
orchards and parks, from stronger birds, such 



Based on Nature's Laws. 107 

as the butcher bird and others of its nature. 
The birds should be encouraged to live where 
needed by making houses for them and feed- 
ing them when they are unable to secure their 
feed on account of deep snow and too cold 
weather for them to get their worms. 

The skunk, and other grub-eating animals, 
should be protected and furnished a place 
where they would feel safe to raise their 
young without being killed. Under such 
conditions they would continue their abode 
for many years and increase in sufficient 
numbers to be effective over a large acreage 
of adjoining crops. 

The size and the number of kernels of grain 
growing in a single head of wheat, barley or 
rye, is determined, in large measure, by the 
regularity with which the plant is furnished 
its natural conditions for continuous growth. 



108 The Science of Fruit Growing 

as well as its natural elements, in sufficient 
quantities to make the grain. The most nec- 
essary factor, as with animals, is air. The 
shortest omittance is effective when applied 
to either the leaves or the roots. 

The next important factor for growth is the 
regularity of the moisture supply, the short- 
est omission of which shortens the circulation 
of its food supply and contracts its digesting 
process of growth, if only for a short time it 
has a noticeable effect in determining the 
number of kernels set and their size, in each 
head of grain. An over supply of moisture 
interferes with the digesting process of food, 
rendering it of a flatulent nature, instead of a 
completed product, as shown by a large num- 
ber of kernels set with none reaching near a 
state of completion. 

The necessary component parts for food 



Based on Nature's Laws. 109 

and the soluble condition necessary for their 
absorption by the roots at all times, forms 
the basic material with which the other or- 
gans perform their work of construction. A 
liberal or scant supply determines the amount 
of grain the plant can produce, other condi- 
tions being equal. The less yield of grain in 
the older cultivated fields can often be traced 
to the land crusting over to a depth that shuts 
out the air which is a necessary factor to aid 
the bacteria in doing their work of preparing 
the food for the plant and furnishing the 
roots with their necessary amount of air with 
results as before stated. 

The crusted surface can be broken by cul- 
tivating as is used for corn. The tools used 
can be of the same nature on a smaller scale, 
so constructed on a frame that several rows 
can be cultivated at a time, and drawn by a 
horse traveling in an open space formed by 



110 The Science of Fruit Growing 

not sowing one row or two of grain, as is 
thought best, or one may accept of the small 
loss in comparison caused by the horse walk- 
ing on the grain plants. 

The cultivator should be guided by an 
automatic disc. This is constructed by using 
a cultivator handle attached to a shank carry- 
ing an eighteen-inch steel disc and this, in 
turn, is attached to and in front of a horizon- 
tal beam of the cultivator by a swivel. The 
disc is gauged to revolve in the ground to a 
depth of four to six inches, and is guided by 
the handle extending from it. The least 
variation in the guiding of the disc controls 
the course of the cultivator. The cultivator 
teeth should be attached to a jointed cross- 
beam so constructed that it would permit the 
teeth working in uneven places, each tooth 
should be gauged with a wheel going just 
ahead of it that would control the depth of 



Based on Nature's Laws. Ill 

the cultivation. The number of rows culti- 
vated or the width of the cultivator would 
depend on the condition of the ground. The 
width of the drill used in sowing the grain 
would be preferable. 

The grain should not be cultivated any 
deeper than necessary to break the crust and 
as often as it forms from the time the ground 
is suitable to work in the spring, until the 
grain plants, from size, are injured by the cul- 
tivator. If the crusted surface cannot be 
broken for a greater width than two inches, 
it w^ill admit air that can penetrate in all 
directions to the roots. While the crusted 
conditions govern the growth of trees and 
production of fruit, the effects of their irreg- 
ular growth are not so quickly discernible in 
trees as in the grains and smaller vegetable 
plants. 



112 The Science of Fruit Growing 

Malted seed is a condition, when the seed 
has sprouted and grown from one-fourth to 
an inch, and then become stunted or killed 
for the want of natural conditions to extend 
its growth. A dry condition is the more 
serious as it more frequently contributes to it. 
This can be overcome, in a measure, by thor- 
oughly preparing the seed bed by frequent 
cultivation and incorporating a liberal 
amount of vegetable humus in the soil before 
sowing the seed. If the soil is sandy or too 
porous to hold moisture, it can be frequently 
sprinkled, preferably at night and covered 
through the day with burlap or some similar 
material that will shade the ground until the 
plant can get started. 

With field grains or plants on a larger 
scale, a liberal application of gypsum or ref- 
use salt, will help to retain the moisture, the 
latter being the more efficient. The sprouted 



Based on Nature's Laws. 113 



seed has usually got enough root growth 
started by the time the plant appears above 
the ground, to continue its existence. 

Fruits that ripen in Summer and early 
Fall can be thinned to relieve an over- 
burdened tree by picking, before harvesting 
time, the more matured specimens as soon as 
they will do to use for cooking purposes. The 
remaining fruit will grow better unless the 
tree has reached such an unfavorable condi- 
tion that it could not overcome it, as is often 
the case when trees are suffering from the 
effects of over-bearing or drouth. In picking- 
fruit, great care should be used not to pick 
the fruit tree spurs, as it takes several years 
to grow them. 

Orchards should not be pastured with cat- 
tle, sheep or swine. If they are pastured with 
them the trees should be protected as high as 



114 The Science of Fruit Growing 

they can reach with wire screen to protect 
their small twigs from being bruised by the 
cattle or sheep and prevent the swine from 
eating the bark, especially near the roots. 
Trees on which cats practice sharpening their 
claws should be protected, as it interferes 
with the health of the tree. Small pines, 
spruces and arbor-vitae growing on the lawn, 
should be protected from the frequent visits 
of dogs, their excretions spoiling the foilage 
and if continued, often kills the tree. 

Teaching hogs to root for live roots by 
spreading corn or other grains on the ground, 
is bad practice. The best feeding roots of 
a tree are those that can be grown nearest to 
the surface of the ground that is consistent 
with good cultivation. The fine feeding roots 
correspond with the short, thick-leafed twigs 
of the body and larger limbs in producing a 
perfect growth. A gang plow, whose depth 



Based on Nature's Laws. 115 

of furrow can be evenly gauged, is a good 
tool for working an orchard. If used cor- 
rectly, and often enough, it will keep the sur- 
face of the soil in good condition for growing 
the trees and kill all growing weeds and 
grasses without much additional dragging or 
culture except near the trees, which should be 
frequently and thoroughly hoed to kill the 
weeds and insects breeding in the soil. 



The copyright ownership of this book is 
hereby given, in trust, by its author, Virgil 
Bogue, to the Virgil Bogue Home for Depend- 
ent Children, at Albion, N. Y. The net in- 
come from which is to be used for the main- 
tenance and care of its inmates. 



THE SCIENCE OF FRUIT GROWING 

AND THE ART OF CULTIVATION 

Pakt IV. 



If the most of the terminal growth of a 
fruit tree is annually removed in the Spring 
to within one or two buds of its previous 
year's growth it would increase in propor- 
tion the terminal growth of that season 
over what it made the previous season. If 
this is continued for several years, it would 
tend to make the tree nonproductive of 
fruit. If it is thought best to keep the top 

of the tree as low down as is consistent for 
the variety it is better to cut one-half of the 
previous season's growth of the terminals 
each year until by bearing it reaches a 
shorter growth. If a fruit tree of suitable 



118 The Science of Fruit Growing 

age and size does not bear, it often is from 
the fact that the growth is largely confined 
to the terminal limbs instead of being in 
the fruit spur buds. This can be changed 
by cutting off the new growing terminal 
limbs at the time they have stopped form- 
ing new leaves, which usually is before the 
first of August, after which the process of 
developing and maturing will be more con- 
fined to the fruit spurs that produce the 
fruit buds at that time of the year. This 
rule works well in older trees where the 
chief desire is the production of fruit, 
while the cutting off of the limbs will re- 
duce the vitality of the tree, as every grow- 
ing leaf cut from it does. It is not so vital 
an injury as the fruit bearing feature of 
the tree is developed by the removal of the 
terminal or scion growth at that time of the 
year. Fruit bearing trees from which the 
scions are cut in August for budding pur- 
poses are usually good bearing trees. This 
law of growth is applicable to fruit and 
vegetable bearing vines. By cutting off 
the terminal growth after the vines have 



and The Art of Cultivation 119 

reached a reasonable size growth for the 
season, it tends to give the older leaves a 
chance to increase the setting of fruit on 
vegetable bearing vines. It also develops 
and ripens earlier those that are growing 
on them, the same as the topping and suck- 
ering of tobacco makes the leaves develop 
in size and texture. When the seed and 
quantity of nourishing strength is desired, 
no part of the plant should be removed. 
The same is true of cotton, corn and other 
plants of a similar nature. The cracking 
open of the pealing and outer part of the 
fruit is caused by a more rapid growth fol- 
lowing a partial contraction or ripening 
condition as is usually caused by a drought. 
The capillary action in forcing the sap into 
the growing fruit under favorable condi- 
tions possesses a great strength. It was 
found to possess an expanding power 
of several hundred pounds in a growing 
squash when one was confined in an iron 
bound box, so arranged to record its ex- 
panding power in pounds. 



120 The Science of Fruit Growing 

Moss growing on trees should be re- 
moved from them. Their roots enter the 
inner part of the bark of the tree through 
the respiratory pores to live on the chloro- 
phil or real life of the tree located or pass- 
ing there. It clogs up the capillary chan- 
nels through which chlorophil passes to the 
roots and other parts of the tree, as wil- 
low and other tree roots clog up a tile drain. 
The longer it is on, the more it injures the 
tree. The roots of moss can be killed by 
washing the moss with a strong lye, using 
a swab made by tieing a piece of cloth on 
the end of a stick, after which the rains 
will wash it off. 

In planting orchards of fruit trees, dif- 
ferent varieties should be planted in the 
same blocks to provide for pollenizing in 
emergency cases such as arises from con- 
tinued rains or freezes occurring when the 
trees are in bloom. That kills the pollen 
or anthers on which the pollen is produced, 
when at the same time the ovules which 
receive the pollen through" the stigma that 
is necessary for the setting and growing of 



and The Art of Cultivation 121 

the fruit is in a condition to receive it. 
There is usually enough late blossoms on 
the same tree to furnish the necessary 
amount of pollen; they, failing the stigma, 
will receive pollen from other varieties that 
have a later blossoming season. The same 
colored fruit should be set and when pos- 
sible a variety possessing a stronger per- 
sonal is desirable to set as is the case of a 
Sheldon pear, under the above stated con- 
ditions it will furnish the necessary polen 
for the Bartlett. The fruit will retain the 
shape and size of a Bartlett, but will pos- 
sess the russet color and flavor of a Shel- 
don and ripen at the time of the Sheldon, 
which is a few days later. This point in na- 
ture varies in different varieties as in some 
apples, if one-fifth of the ovules receive 
pollen and is fertilized from another va- 
riety, it may be represented by a streak 
of one-fifth of the apple extending from the 
calyx to the stem in color and possess the 
more prominent characteristics of the va- 
riety of which it came. Or if the ovules are 
all fertilized with pollen from another 



122 The Science of Fruit Growing 

variety the whole apple will possess the 
color and characteristics of the variety 
from which it came. Some varieties of 
grains and vegetables are more inclined to 
mix than fruits, as in the case of corn and 
squashes. 

Fruit tree seedlings retain their indi- 
viduality throughout their whole life. They 
influence the production and substance 
grown on the variet}^ that is budded or 
grafted on them at or above the crown of 
the plant. Only such seedlings should be 
used to grow other varieties of fruit on 
them, as are constructively strong for bear- 
ing purposes. The larger and thicker leaf 
represents the better construction for 
growth. The smaller and thinner leaves 
are less efficient. All such seedlings should 
be thinned from the rows in September, 
when they can be more readily detected. 
If cut otf at the crown at that time they 
will not sprout. The capillary channel of 
such inferior leaf plants are too contracted 
to produce sufficient growth to produce 
good fruit. They are more like the Horn- 



and The Art of Cultivation 123 

beam, or what is more commonly called 
lever wood which has a very fine texture 
and is of slow growth producing no fruits. 

Acids are a natural product of the soil 
under certain conditions. They are assist- 
ants to bacteria in their work, to a limited 
extent. They often become over abundant 
and require reducing by the application of 
potash, lime or other acid neutralizing 
agencies to the soil, in order to grow the 
legumes and the better nourishing plants. 
Excessive amounts of acids are also held 
in check by surface and tile draining, as 
the most of soils that contain an excess 
amount of acids are those where the water 
level in them is near the surface the most 
part of the year. 

The land should be thoroughly plowed 
and worked as early in the spring as pos- 
sible and the hard packed soil just below 
the usual depth of plowing should be 
broken up in fine parts by a subsoil plow 
or a disk plow that does not turn up the 
subsoil to the surface but breaks it up in 



124 The Science of Fruit Growing 

fine parts. Then with frequent cultivating 
and mixing of the soil to admit freely the 
light, warm rays of the sun and air it will 
prove very effective. 

Nearly four-fifths of the air is nitrogen 
which is a great neutralizer of acids. Its 
efficiency is readily determined by expos- 
ing strong vinegar in shallow containers 
located in a current of air. Dropped fruit 
containing acids should not be plowed into 
the ground, as it requires more potash, 
lime and other elements to neutralize the 
acids that the soil has absorbed from them. 
The potash used for that purpose has no 
further value as is shown by putting a lit- 
tle saleratus made from potash in a glass 
of sour cider. Its neutralizing effect makes 
the cider more palatable and at the same 
time the potash and acid become extinct. 
By keeping the soil in a receptive state to 
receive the natural agencies to neutralize 
acid more of the artificial agencies that 
have to be procured at high prices can be 
reserved for the making of plant food. 



and The Art of Cultivation 126 

The thorough summer following of the 
land as formerly practiced for growing 
wheat, neutralizes the acids and insures a 
good crop following, when other conditions 
are favorable. The nitrogen in the roots 
and nodules of a good crop of legumes when 
plowed under is sufficient to neutralize the 
acids in the soil to insure a good crop of 
most anything planted for one year. The 
frost coming out of the frozen ground in 
the spring leaves the soil porous, through 
which the air enters and neutralizes the 
acids. Under such condition the land should 
not be worked in the spring until the air 
has dried out the soil and done its best 
work at neutralizing the acids, to insure a 
good vegetable growth for that season. 

Fruit trees standing on knowls that are 
more of a wet and springy nature than the 
surrounding land, as is often indicated by 
a spontaneous growth of sorrell, are more 
likely to be affected with acid canker crown 
rot than others surrounding them. These 
knowls are the natural vent holes of the 
ground where the water and acid level 



1 26 The Science of Fruit Growing 

come to or near the surface. Similar in 
nature to the air holes in ice covering a 
pond that the skater learns to avoid. The 
knowls require more manure to nullify the 
action of the acid in order to grow an equal 
amount of vegetable growth that is pro- 
duced on the surrounding land. 

It is better to plow a little deeper than 
usual when turning under a green crop or 
summer following. 

The frequent dying of shade trees locat- 
ed in the paved streets of cities, is largely 
due to acid action on the roots as shown 
by the decayed condition of them, and the 
location near the surface of the ground of 
what few live roots there may be left on 
the tree and the decaying of the trunk at 
and above the ground. This condition can 
be prevented in a large measure by deep 
and thorough tiling the soil under the trees 
or placed along side the sewer pipe in the 
center of the road, and keeping the soil 
loose that is located at the base of the tree 
and nearby places of ground where it is 



and The Art of Cultivation 127 

possible for the air to penetrate, and work 
into the ground a liberal amount of potash, 
lime and humus forming manure for the 
roots to feed on and to help to keep the 
soil porous. The present decayed condi- 
tions of the roots of many of the large 
trees are so bad they should be removed 
for safety's sake, and others put in their 
places. 

Noxious sewer gases escaping through 
the ground nulifies bacteria action to that 
extent it injures the trees and often kills 
them. 

Fruit trees suffering from the effects of 
too much water in the ground, when grow- 
ing show it by large irregular shaped, yel- 
low, brown or black dead blotches on the 
ends and sides of the leaves, indicating a 
breaking down of the cells of the leaf. The 
fruit cells are effected in the same way, 
which produces on the skin the right con- 
ditions for fungii to grow. 

Fruit trees suffering from too damp at- 
mosphere show it by nearly round spots 



128 The Science of Fruit Growing 

on the leaves and fruit . They increase in 
size and number as the conditions continue 
and furnish suitable places for fungii to 
grow. 

The elastic nature of plant growth is so 
great that many imperfections are not 
readily discernible though they are effec- 
tive in the construction of flowers, grains 
and fruits. It is for the interest of the 
grower to see that the imperfect condi- 
tions for growth are reduced to the mini- 
mum and the most favorable conditions for 
growth are furnished to the maximum. 

Pure sand, clay, air or water taken alone 
will not produce vegetable growth. Mix 
sand and clay together thoroughly so it 
will admit air freely and add enough water 
to moisten it and it will produce vegetable 
growth. The clay possesses the requisite 
material but lacks conditions for other ele- 
ments to act on it. Fruit bearing trees 
growing in sand that are dependent most- 
ly on commercial fertilizers for their suc- 
cess should be furnished with it regularly 
at least every two weeks or oftener 



and The Art of Cultivation 129 

throughout the cultivating season in order 
to produce a regular and continuous 
growth. The fertilizers should be culti- 
vated into the ground as deep as is consist- 
ent with the location of the feeding roots 
as soon as it is sown. 

Applying an excessive amount of ferti- 
lizer at one time interfere with the digest- 
ing of the elements the same as with the 
animal system. It violates the essential 
law of frequent and regular feeding which 
is taught by every living thing. The clay 
loams that have the power of absorption 
and retention of the mineral substances 
until used by the roots is a different prop- 
osition, it is not so dependent on frequent 
renewal of plant food. 

The water level in the forepart of the 
growing season controls the acid level in 
the soil. The acid and water level and the 
compactness of the soil governs the kind 
of bacteria and its energy in producing the 
more valuable vegetable growth. The rea- 
son of the roots of plants and some of the 



130 The Science of Fruit Growing 

larger trees existing near the surface of 
the ground is that the acid level will not 
permit vegetable growth below where the 
roots exist. Grasses, plants, bushes and 
trees that can live in soil that is heavy 
laden with acids have acquired a nature to 
live near the surface of the ground, or in 
dwarf condition. Their would-be brace 
roots are so often destroyed by the acids 
they cannot produce an extended upright 
growth as they have no brace roots to sus- 
tain them. On natural deep porous soils 
or deep tile drained land the roots are 
found to exist at a much greater depth, the 
same is true of cereal and vegetable plants. 
The acid level in the ground can be located 
and the comparative amount can be meas- 
ured by the use of blue litmus paper. Put 
a strip of it from the bottom of a hole dug 
as deep as you wish to test it, to the sur- 
face of the ground and fill up the hole with 
dirt, packing the soil as you put it in. After 
it has remained a few hours remove the 
paper. At the depth where the paper has 
turned red is the location of the acid level. 



and The Art of Cultivation 131 



Tlie brightness of the red color and the 
length of the thne it requires for the acids 
to change the color from blue to red repre- 
sents the density of the acids. If this same 
blue litmus paper turned red by the acids 
is soaked in a pint of rainwater with a lit- 
tle potash added it will restore the blue 
color. The (juantity of potash required to 
restore the color represents the density of 
tlie liquid and at the same time the density 
of the acids that turned the color from blue 
to red. If there are not enough acids in the 
soil to turn the blue litmus paper to red 
there are not enough acids in it to injure 
vegetable growth. The conditions vary at 
dift'erent times of the year. The most ser- 
ious is the early growing season. 

The excess amount of acids in trees more 
than what is used in the regular process of 
growth is eliminated in the form of canker, 
as is shown by the dead bark at and above 
the crown of the tree and extending up- 
ward on the trunk and on the lower limbs 
near the main trunk, after the canker has 



132 The Science of Fruit Growing 

killed the live substance located at those 
places and by the spots on the fruit and 
leaves which indicate the health of the 
whole tree is in bad order, or in nematodes 
that live on the unmatured fruit producing 
properties in the tree. When too abund- 
ant they show their effect in the form of 
death, called blight, which appears in the 
greatest abundance just previous to, or at 
the time of producing its first crop of fruit, 
indicating its favorite food is unmatured 
fruit vitality. This can be obviated in a 
as tends to produce matured vitality, in 
order to bring about an early abundant 
bearing of fruit instead of a flatulent 
growth. After trees become regular bear- 
ers they are not affected as much with acid 
blight. The principle of bearing to pro- 
mote health is abundantly demonstrated in 
the history of the health and strength of 
our grandmothers who bore large families. 

A nematode is a parasite with a worm 
form and habits, that exist in animal and 
vegetable life. The most active acid nema- 



and The Art of Cultivation 133 

todes can be seen in vinegar with a magni- 
fying glass. The nematodes are found in 
the greatest abundance in the parts of the 
tree just below where the limbs are wilted 
from blight, and often works out through 
the bark in the apparent form of gum sub- 
stance. If the limb is removed as it should 
be for a foot or more below the blighted 
parts as soon as seen to be wilted and 
burnt, it will save their extending down- 
ward for more feed or being carried by 
bees or the wind to other trees alighting 
usually on the blossoms where they find a 
natural food to feed upon. Their presence 
is noted in a short time by the near-by 
leaves turning black and the dying of the 
more succulent part of the bud and fruit 
spur. The more matured part of the fruit 
spur most always resists the action of the 
nematodes and stops its extending farther. 
Similar conditions often exist when the 
growth of the tree is so flatulent that the 
spreading nematodes can act on the new 
terminal growth, producing what is called 
' ' twig blight. ' ' Their action is often check- 



1 34 The Science of Fruit Growing 

ed when they reach downward to a more 
matured growth. After the canker and 
trachina nematodes have done their work 
of disorganizing life substance the bacteria 
germ takes possession and decomposes the 
lifeless properties existing there. While 
the nematodes can exist in a dormant state 
in live matter the decomposing bacteria 
can only exist in a foreign or dead sub- 
stance susceptible of being decomposed. 

The dead spots in the bark of the trunk 
and larger limbs of pear trees and the 
spots that are nearly dead are the results 
of acid action on the life substance there. 
The inner layers of bark are often reinvig- 
orated with chloraphil after which the tree 
may live many years before dying or it 
may never die from its effects. Acid action 
does its worst work, in trees when it is a 
more than ordinarily wet time. Its effects 
may be seen soon or it may not be seen for 
some time after. 



and The Art of Cultivation 135 

The knife or the saw used for the ampu- 
tation of the limbs should be sponged with 
a solution of Corrosive Sublimate having 
the strength of one part to iive hundred of 
water before using for cutting of the next 
limb to prevent the spreading of the germs. 

To prevent and check the activities of 
trachina nematodes it is best to lower the 
acid level in the ground by surface and 
deep tile draining to remove the water 
level and apply a liberal amount of manure 
of a developing ripening and acid neutra- 
lizing nature and prevent the effects of ex- 
tended drouths by frequent and thorough 
cultivation of the soil and introducing into 
the soil when necessary a liberal amount 
of salt to aid in conserving moisture, that 
the feeding roots can flourish near the sur- 
face instead of having to go deep into the 
ground for moisture only to be caught in 
the lower ^ ater and acid level at the next 
late wet spring and summer, with its dis- 
astrous effects. The acid action on trees is 
one of the factors that reduces the quality 



1 36 The Science of Fruit Growing 

of the sap, to a palatable condition to admit 
the sucking insects to flourish on it, such as 
the case bearers, aphis, pear percilla, and 
wlrite fly. The acid action on the inner 
cells of the fruit kills the cells and renders 
the chlorophil inactive. After which the 
cell or combination of cells turn yellow- 
brown, forming a spot, as we oftentime see 
in an overgrown apple, more especially the 
Baldwin. The acid action on the cells of 
growing fruit makes spots available where 
the fungii can grow. 

If the trees are growing in sod or under 
neglected conditions it is better to start 
the change in cultivation by plowing and 
dragging the land in the late fall or early 
winter so that the decomposing bacteria 
can commence its active work as early in 
the following growing season as the warm 
weather will permit and the growth of the 
trees can be completed before it is too late 
in the fall in order that tlie life substance 
in the tree can stand the debilitating effects 
of winter without too much loss of vitality. 



and The Art of Cultivation 137 

It is a good indication of a fruit crop 
when the leaves on a fruit-bearing tree get 
a good start in growth in the spring before 
it blossoms. When a tree blossoms before 
the leaves start it indicates a low state of 
vitality and is not as likely to set or hold 
its fruit till picking time. 

The thin layers of wood representing the 
annual growth as is often found in sawed 
lumber to be much smaller in the first five 
inches from the heart of the tree than 
those farther from the heart or center, 
shows the results of forest trees growing 
too near together when young. The larger 
layers show the progress the tree made 
after it had gained its supremacy over its 
competitors. At the time of making those 
restricted growths, it should have been 
making ])y nature its best growth, if the 
trees had been properly thinned when 
young. 

If the lower limbs could be correctly re- 
moved by the method and at the proper 
season of the year as previously stated. 



138 The Science of Fruit Growing 

when they show signs of dying from shade, 
many of the would-be knots that would be 
formed by allowing the limb to die and re- 
main on the tree until they fall off, would 
be eliminated by the process of healthy 
growth. 

The soft early deca^dng spots that are 
found in lumber aside of what is known as 
the sap part, is often caused by the tapping 
of the maples, turpentining the pines, ex- 
cessive dry seasons and the late spring 
freezes or the foliage being eaten by insects 
that impair the natural growth though it 
may be only for one season. \ 



ADDED EXPLANATION OF POTATO 

BLIGHT 



Copyrighted by 

THE VIRGIL BOGUE HOME FOR DEPENDENT 

CHILDREN 

1921 



Potato and tomato blight is caused by 
an acid vapor arising from the ground. 

It first destroys the organs of the 
breathing part of the leaf and thereby 
prevents the making of chloraphil. This 
damaging condition occurs when the at- 
mosphere is in a damp muggy condition 
that prevent the air from, absorbing the 



140 The Science of Fruit GrO'iving 



acid vapor, as it does when dry and in 
motion. This similar blighted condition 
can be produced by placing one to three 
gills of strong vinegar in plates under the 
vines and then cover the plant with an 
air tight bushel tub for one night. The 
results will not be distributed as even 
over the surface of the leaves, owing to 
the uneven distribution of the vinegar 
under the leaves and the excess amount 
of acid vapor arising when first 
covered compared with the more 
even amount that arises from the 
ground. After the organs of the leaf 
are destroyed fungi will soon begin to 
grow. If the fungi is properly killed by 
spraying it wil have the same aspect as 
killing moss on trees. The fungi has no 
part in producing the blight. After the 
breathing organs of the leaf of potatoes 
are destroyed by the acid vapor arising 



and the Art of Cultivation. 141 

from the ground the capulary action 
produced by the mechanical construction 
of the stock is such that it will continue to 
pump dilluted or imperfect moisture into 
the tubers causing them to enlarge in 
size. If it is in sufficient quantity to dis- 
organize the starch or life substance of 
the potato it will soon decay. If it does- 
not advance to that sta^e of life it often 
causes the outer cells of the potato to col- 
lapse and decay more slowly even after 
they are harvested. Under similar con- 
ditions the tomato becomes watery and 
tasteless. To prevent the acid vapor 
arising from, the ground in damaging 
quantities reduce the quantity of the acid 
in the ground as previously stated and 
plow into the grond in the late fall or 
early winter the best crop of clover or 
any of the legumes that it is possible to 
grow. Drag or pulverize the land en- 



142 The Science of Fruit Grooving 

ough to close the plow laps and allow it 
to remain till the proper time to fit and 
plant. Put the hills far enough apart to 
give the sun a reasonable chance to act 
on the ground and keep the soil as loose 
as possibly by frequently cultivating it, 
especially as soon after a rain as the land 
will do to work without packing it. That 
the air may be admitted freely at all 
times to do its best work at nutralizing 
the acids. 



INDEX 

Acids 123 

Acid Blight 132 

Acid Control 123-3 

Acid Controls Bacteria Action 126-3, 129-3 

Acid Density Determined 131 

Acid Level Located with Litmus Paper 130 

Acid Producing Canker and Blight 125, 131-2 

Acid Producing Nematodes 132 

Air Cells 6-2 

Annual Bearing 60-2 

Apple Coloring 52-2 

Apple Leaf 5-2 

Arsenic Poison 5-2, 104-2 

Bacteria & Cultivation 11-2, 109 

Bacteria il-3, 42, 96-2 

Bark Bound 46-2 

Best Feeding Roots 114-2 

Bird Protection 106-2, 34 

Blight, its Cause and Prevention 133, 135 

Blossoming Feature 56 

Buddink 15 

Budding from Bearing Trees 17-2 

Capullary Action Power 119 

Care of Cut over Forrest 90 

Care of Picked Fruit 67-2 

Care of Transplanting 17-2 

Chlorapast 4-2 

Clhoraphil 47 

Circulation of Sap 9 



ii Index 



Clay Loam 71 

Climatic Condition 96-2 

Cold Water 88 

Coloring of Leaves and Fruit 50, 52 

Cracking Open of Fruit 119 

Circulation of Sap 7-3, 9 

Crust Breaking Tool 109-2 

Crust Cultivating 109 

Cultivation 13, 25 

Curing Fruit 33 

Cutting Back Trees 69-3 

Cutting Out Trees 85 

Decayed Fruit 32 

Deep Soils and Under Draining 94, 95 

Depth to Plough 48 

Dog and Cat Nuisances 114 

Drought 58 

Early Cultivation 98 

Electric Storm 7-2 

Elements Necessary for Growth 107-3 

Fall Plowing '. 32, 40, 136-2 

Fall Plowing & Fungis 32 

Fermenting Condition 97-2 

Forestry 137 

Frozen Fruit 69, 31 

Frozen Leaves and Stems 31-2, 102-2 

Fruit Growing Season 39 

Fruit Spurs 15-2 

Fruit Spur Ages 113 

Forestry and Fuel Problems 79 



Index iii 



Fertilizers 13-2 

Gang Plows 114 

Grafting and Wax 61, 64 

Grain Cultivation 109 

Growing Forest 81, 86-2 

Growing Twigs on the Body 86 

Grubs 103-2 

Gymnasiums 77-3 

Heating a House 83 

Heat and Light 4-2 

Hornets 36 

Individuality of Fruit 14-3, 122-2 

Influence Seedlings have in Fruiting 122 

Keeping Pits 92-2 

Lake Influence 13-3, 95 

Landscape 71-2 

Leaves 4, 6-2, 30, 32, 69-2 

Leaves Necessity 16, 17 

Lice and Fungii . , 60 

Light and Chloraphil 29-3 

Life in Trees 7-3 8-2 

Life Substance 10-2 

Malacules 8-2 

Malted Seeds 112 

Manuring 27, 40, 128-2 

Matured Vitality 11 

Mixing Varieties for Pollinizing 120-2 

Moisture for Growth 12-2 

IMoss Removing 120 

Mulching 87-2 



iv Index 



Natural Agencies to Neutralize Acids 123 

Necessity of Air for Growth 107-3 

Necessity of Moisture 108 

Necessity of Food 108-3 

Nematodes Described 132-2 

Nematode Spreading 133-1 

Nut Tree Orchards 93-2 

Oxigen Necessity 30 

Parks * ^5 

Pasturing Orchards 11 3-2 

Perfect Fruit 59-2 

Picking Early 31 

Pollenizing Conditions 120 

Poison Sprays 104-2 

Poisonous Trees 82 

Planting Trees 17-2 

Producing Baocteria 97-2 

Productiveness 16-2 

Propagating by Layers and Cuttings 100 

Quinces 64 

Radiated Heat 98-2 

Reflected Heat 99-2 

Regular Fruiting 60 

Regular Growth 47 

Removing Frozen Tops 102-3 

Respiratory Organs 44, 52 

Retention of Individuality in Seedlings .... 122 

Reviving Dried Trees 96 

Ripening Condition 58-2 

Roots 24-2, 114-2 



Index 



Root Eating Grubs 103-2 

Roots Feeding 28 

Salt 29-2 

Sap 9-2 

Sap Quality 28 

Scalded Fruit 68-2 

Seasons Control 42-3 

Setting of Fruit 55-2 

Sewer Gas 127 

Shading Seed Bed 86 

Short Seasons 39 

Skunks 34, 107 

Snakes 34-3 

Spraying 49- 5-2 

Starting and Planting an Orchard 17-2 

Starting Delayed Growth 88-2 

Starting Fruit 80 

Strawberries 67 

Stripping Leaves Before Digging 89-2 

Structure of Leaf 16-2 

Sun-Light for Fruit 14-2, «5 

Sun Light for Growth 13 

Sun's Effect on Roots 85 

Tanning, Starch and Sugar 33-2 

Tender Trees 90 

Thinning Fruit 57, 113 

Time to Cut Bushes to Kill Them 22-2 

Time to Pick Fruit 31-3 33 

Time to Trim 23, 47-2 

Toads 35 



vi Index 



To Kill Land Insects 103-2 

Transplanting Deciduous Trees 89 

Transplanting Pines 87 

Trimming When Trees are Young 117 

Trimming 19, 47-3 

Trimming to Produce Fruit 118 

Trimming to Produce Ripening 118 

Trimming, When Not To 117 

Vent Holes for the Ground 1 25 

Vitality 11 

Water ^Controls Acids 1 29-3 

Water Surplus 1 27-3 

Watering Plants 96 

Water Purifier 68-3 

Wasps 35 

Woodpeckers 36 



i 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 





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